Reliability of anxiety assessment. I. Diagnostic agreement

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1989 Dec;46(12):1093-101. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810120035007.

Abstract

Test-retest reliability of lifetime anxiety disorder diagnoses was determined using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Anxiety version. The subjects were 104 patients at an anxiety research clinic. Reliability ranged from good to excellent (kappa = +.60 to +.90) for generalized anxiety, social phobic, panic, agoraphobic, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Simple phobia showed poor agreement. Current episodes showed better agreement than past episodes, particularly for social phobia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Major sources of disagreement (variance in subject report, rate error, criterion ambiguity) were reviewed for each diagnosis and implications for DSM-IV are proposed.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Agoraphobia / classification
  • Agoraphobia / diagnosis
  • Agoraphobia / psychology
  • Ambulatory Care
  • Anxiety Disorders / classification
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / classification
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / psychology
  • Panic
  • Phobic Disorders / classification
  • Phobic Disorders / diagnosis
  • Phobic Disorders / psychology
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales*
  • Psychometrics