[A revised Iowa collateral head injury interview: a new instrument for the assessment of traumatic psychosocial frontal symptoms].
OBJECTIVE
To validate a semi-structured Revised Iowa Collateral Head Injury Interview (RICHII) to assess post-traumatic, psychosocial frontal symptoms.


METHODS
1. To revise the RICHII in the light of recent research findings and previous pilot studies. 2. External experts assure face and content validity. 3. Standard reliability and validity study in a sample of consecutive patients fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria of severe head trauma. 4. Principal component analysis and distribution of results of RICHII administration to the full sample (N= 55).


RESULTS
Several original items were modified and two new items (inappropriate euphoria and affective unstableness) were incorporated, as well as a new, graded scoring system. Feasibility, internal consistency (Cronbach's alfa= 0.94), inter-rater reliability (n= 40, kappa= 0.60) and test-retest reliability (n= 25, kappa= 0.70) were quite acceptable. Four factors emerged in the factor analysis, explaining a high percentage of the variance; they tend to reflect modern knowledge in the field and are judged to support the construct validity of the RICHII. More than two thirds of patients (70.9%) scored high in at least one of the items.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report about the reliability and validity of a collateral interview to assess post-traumatic, psychosocial frontal symptoms.
Pelegrín Valero
C
C
Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza. cpelegrinv@medynet.com
Gómez-Hernández
R
R
Lobo Satúe
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results