The Interview for Recent Life Events

Area of Science:

• Psychological assessment
• Life events research
• Clinical psychology

Background:

• The Interview for Recent Life Events (IRLE) is a widely utilized instrument.
• Detailed reporting on its development and application has been limited until now.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive report on the Interview for Recent Life Events (IRLE).
• To detail the rationale, development, organization, content, reliability, validity, and applications of the IRLE.

Main Methods:

• Review of the instrument's development process.
• Analysis of its organizational structure and content.
• Assessment of its psychometric properties (reliability and validity).

Main Results:

• The IRLE comprehensively covers recent life events, including timing and other key characteristics.
• The instrument demonstrates established reliability and validity.
• The IRLE has been translated into multiple languages and utilized by international research groups.
• Applications span studies involving psychiatric patients, medical patients, and general population samples.

Conclusions:

• The Interview for Recent Life Events (IRLE) is a valuable and effective instrument for life event ascertainment in research.
• Its established reliability, validity, and widespread application confirm its utility in diverse study populations.