A structured interview for the DSM-III personality disorders. A preliminary report.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychological Assessment

Background:

• Published studies often fail to distinguish DSM-III personality disorders by etiology, prognosis, treatment response, or family history.
• Diagnostic reliability for Axis II disorders is a significant challenge in psychiatric assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate the Structured Interview for the DSM-III Personality Disorders (SIDP) for improved diagnostic reliability.
• To facilitate validity testing of Axis II personality disorder criteria.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-three subjects were independently rated by two interviewers using the SIDP.
• Interrater agreement was assessed using kappa coefficients.
• Preliminary validity was explored using personality rating scales and the dexamethasone suppression test in 102 inpatient interviews.

Main Results:

• Kappa coefficients for interrater agreement reached .70 or higher for histrionic, borderline, and dependent personality disorders.
• Preliminary results suggest criterion-based validity against standard personality scales.
• Preliminary results indicate construct validity in relation to the dexamethasone suppression test.

Conclusions:

• The SIDP demonstrates good interrater reliability for specific personality disorders.
• The SIDP shows promise for improving the validity of Axis II personality disorder diagnoses.
• Further research is needed to fully establish the validity of the SIDP and DSM-III personality criteria.