RELIABILITY OF INTERVIEW INFORMATION IN A FAMILY STUDY IN THE ELDERLY

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the combined test-retest and interrater reliability of different psychiatric lifetime diagnoses yielded in the course of a family study in elderly patients and contr ols. The following interviews and questionnaires were used in combinat ion: the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), the Stru ctured Interview for the Diagnosis of Dementia of the Alzheimer Type, Multi-infarct Dementia and Dementias of Other Aetiology (SIDAM). the G eneral Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and questionnaires for neurasthen ia and recurrent brief depression (RED). Depressive and dementia disor ders can be diagnosed with good reliability in a family study setting with the use of these instruments. The diagnoses of phobic disorders, neurasthenia, RED. subthreshold RED and psychiatric caseness as indica ted by GHQ-12 scores were less reliable in this setting and are theref ore less suitable for use in family studies.