title: Reliability of the psychosocial axes of DSM-III in an adolescent population.
abstract: Three psychosocial variables were rated independently by two clinicians for 140 adolescent referrals to a psychiatric unit. Overall, intraclass correlations for DSM-III Axis IV, Axis V and a psychosocial adversity index (PSAI) were respectively 0.44, 0.58 and 0.68. The main source of unreliability is probably the operational definitions, rather than their application by clinicians; indices similar to the PSAI may be preferable.
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000296:Adolescent Psychiatry / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales