We investigated the reliability of the Structured Interview for Schizotypy-Revised (SIS-R). The original interview (SIS) was developed by Kendler. We revised the SIS, primarily by standardizing the rating procedures. Operational definitions and explicit criteria for rating were given. We introduced a four-point scale and provided clear criteria for rating severity of symptoms and signs (frequen...

This study found mixed support for the hypothesis that the difference in criterion-related validity between unstructured and structured employment interviews is due solely to the greater reliability of structured interviews. Using data from prior meta-analyses, this hypothesis was tested in 4 data sets by using standard psychometric procedures to remove the effects of measurement error in inter...

This article presents a new interview-based research instrument for assessing schizotypal symptoms and signs. The Structured Interview for Schizotypy (SIS), which was developed from experience gained in a large, controlled family study of schizophrenia in the west of Ireland and has been field-tested in three other locations, differs from previously available interviews in that it includes: (1)...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the applicability and the interrater reliability of a Semi-Structured Interview for psychological autopsy in cases of suicide. METHOD The Semi-Structured Interview for Psychological Autopsy (SSIPA) proposed in this paper consists of four modules which evaluate key-topics associated to suicide. In order to evaluate the instrument's applicability, a sample formed by 42 ...

Psychiatric diagnostic interviews to be used in epidemiologic studies by lay interviewers have, since the 1970s, attempted to operationalize existing psychiatric nomenclatures. How to maximize the chances that they do so successfully has not previously been spelled out. In this article, the authors discuss strategies for each of the seven steps involved in writing, updating, or modifying a diag...

Effective interview skills are a core competency for psychiatry residents and developing psychotherapists. Although schools commonly make use of standardized patients to teach interview skills, the diversity of the scenarios standardized patients can characterize is limited by availability of human actors. Further, there is the economic concern related to the time and money needed to train stan...

Respect for patients’ privacy and dignity and the maintenance of confidentiality are long established principles of medical practice. The General Medical Council has emphasised that treating patients and families politely is important in establishing and maintaining their trust. 2 Recent technological advances have changed the focus of privacy and confidentiality issues towards patients’ identi...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Case-control, cohort, and twin studies support a genetic contribution to ischemic stroke risk. Sibling pair linkage methods require identification of concordant or discordant siblings or both. We designed and tested a structured telephone interview to verify the stroke-free phenotype. METHODS A coordinator unaware of medical record data used an 8-item questionnaire to c...