The inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities of prodromal symptoms in first-episode psychosis.
OBJECTIVE
As part of the DSM-IV field trial for psychotic disorders, the authors endeavoured to determine the reliability of the DSM-IV prodromal features for schizophrenia in a first-episode sample.


METHODS
Fifty first-episode psychotic patients were assessed using a semi-structured instrument to determine the presence/absence of nine prodromal symptoms. Inter-rater reliability data were calculated for 25 of the patients, and test-retest data were calculated for the remaining 25 patients.


RESULTS
Levels of reliability were poor.


CONCLUSIONS
The results lend some support to American Psychiatric Association and World Health Organization decisions to omit specific criteria for prodromal features from their respective nosologies.
Early Psychosis Research Centre, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
H J
HJ
Jackson
P D
PD
McGorry
J
J
Dakis
S
S
Harrigan
L
L
Henry
C
C
Mihalopoulos
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology