Research article summary (published 30 Dec 1991):

A structured diagnostic interview for hypochondriasis. A proposed criterion standard.

Full Abstract

We developed a structured diagnostic interview for DSM-III-R hypochondriasis (SDIH) that is the first such clinician-administered instrument. The SDIH was administered to 88 general medical outpatients who scored above a predetermined cutoff on a hypochondriacal symptom questionnaire, and to 100 comparison patients randomly chosen from among those below the cutoff. Using the joint assessment method, interrater agreement on the DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria was 88% to 97% and agreement on the diagnosis was 96%. Concurrent validity was suggested by a significant correlation between the interview and the primary care physicians' ratings of hypochondriasis. A measure of external validity was demonstrated in that several clinical characteristics thought to be ancillary features of hypochondriasis were significantly more prevalent in interview-positive patients than in interview-negative patients. Finally, the SDIH appeared to have discriminant validity in that patients diagnosed as hypochondriacal had several other clinical features that distinguished them from the patients who scored above the cutoff on hypochondriacal symptomatology, but failed to be diagnosed as hypochondriacal with the SDIH.

Author information

Author/s: Barsky, A J (AJ); Cleary, P D (PD); Wyshak, G (G); Spitzer, R L (RL); Williams, J B (JB); Klerman, G L (GL);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.

Grants: MH40487 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: The Journal of nervous and mental disease (J Nerv Ment Dis), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1992-Jan; vol 180 (issue 1) : pp 20-7

Dates: Created 1992/03/31; Completed 1992/03/31; Revised 2007/11/15;

PMID: 1538202, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Ambulatory Care Analysis of Variance Data Interpretation, Statistical Female Humans Hypochondriasis - diagnosis; psychology

Male Middle Aged Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - standards; statistics & numerical data Psychometrics - standards Reproducibility of Results Terminology as Topic

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