Interrater and observer/self-report correlation of psychopathology in routine clinical practice

Interrater (attending vs resident) and observer/patient self-report correlations were assessed for 17 and 9 symptom factors, respectively, in a consecutive sample of psychiatric outpatients at the time of intake evaluation in a university based clinic using the Hopkins Psychiatric Rating Scale (HPRS) and the SCL-90R. Highly significant interrater reliability was obtained for most items on the HPRS but observer/self-report correlations were more variable, ranging from good (r = .60 to .75) for depression and phobic anxiety, to poor (r < .40) for obsessive-compulsive, paranoia, and psychoticism symptoms. Results also varied by patient sex. The findings suggest a role for both observer and, for specific symptoms, self-report symptom scales in routine clinical practice.