title: Diagnostic interview for genetic studies (DIGS): inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the French version.
abstract: The National Institute of Mental Health developed the semi-structured Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS) for the assessment of major mood and psychotic disorders and their spectrum conditions. The DIGS was translated into French in a collaborative effort of investigators from sites in France and Switzerland. Inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the French version have been established in a clinical sample in Lausanne. Excellent inter-rater reliability was found for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and unipolar schizoaffective disorder while fair inter-rater reliability was demonstrated for bipolar schizoaffective disorder. Using a six-week test-retest interval, reliability for all diagnoses was found to be fair to good with the exception of bipolar schizoaffective disorder. The lower test-retest reliability was the result of a relatively long test-retest interval that favored incomplete symptom recall. In order to increase reliability for lifetime diagnoses in persons not currently affected, best-estimate procedures using additional sources of diagnostic information such as medical records and reports from relatives should supplement DIGS information in family-genetic studies. Within such a procedure, the DIGS appears to be a useful part of data collection for genetic studies on major mood disorders and schizophrenia in French-speaking populations.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Adult Psychiatry, Hôpital de Cery, CH-1008 Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Preisig
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Fenton
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Matthey
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berney
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrero
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*