Telephone vs face-to-face interviewing in a community psychiatric survey

This study compared telephone with face-to-face interviewing in a community psychiatric survey. Two groups of women were investigated, Holocaust survivors and Europe-born respondents who were in prestate Israel during World War II. Both were administered the Psychiatric Research Interview Demoralization Scale and a short item scale investigating World War II experiences. Results showed a high compliance rate to the telephone mode. The subjects' scores in the two modes were highly correlated. Telephone interviewing seems to be a reliable and efficient method in areas with a well-developed network of subscribers.