Assessing the psychometric properties of psychodiagnostic systems: how do the research diagnostic criteria measure up?

Use of the SADS diagnostic interview in evaluating legal insanity

Examined clinical usefulness of the SADS diagnostic interview in evaluations of criminal responsibility. Findings, based on 78 SADS evaluations from a specialized forensic clinic, indicated that SADS successfully differentiated between sane and insane evaluatees. These differences were found primilarily in the severity of psychotic symptoms and overall level of psychological impairment. In addition, preliminary data on institutionalized and outpatient Ss suggested the potential applicability of the SADS for assessing the general psychological functioning of insane patients in treatment.

Psychometric properties of the psychopathology instrument for mentally retarded adults

One hundred and ten adults, from borderline to severe levels of mental retardation, were assessed through the outpatient clinic of a university-affiliated mental health center and a large state psychiatric hospital. These patients were included only after they had demonstrated the ability to respond to questions of similar difficulty to those presented in the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults. This measure was designed by the authors based on DSM III criteria, and covered seven types of psychopathology including schizophrenia, depression, psychosexual disorders, adjustment disorder, anxiety, somatoform disorders, and personality problems. In the present study the psychometric properties of the scale were reviewed and/or evaluated including internal consistency of items and test-retest reliability, and factor analysis.