title: A German version of the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure (SWAP-200) for the dimensional assessment of personality disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The traditional diagnosis of personality disorders has been criticized for lack of empirical support, reliance on categorical classifications and low validity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A German version of the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure (SWAP-200) is presented. This Q-Sort procedure is well-established in the USA and facilitates the dimensional diagnosis of personality pathology in accordance with DSM-IV. In addition, a taxonomy of personality has been derived using factor analyses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The SWAP-200 was applied to 18 patients on the basis of semi-structured interviews. Interviewer ratings were correlated with the SWAP-200 completed by an independent observer and the patients' therapists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Good inter-rater reliability (between r=.69 and r=.76) was found. While average convergent validity coefficients between interviewer, observer and therapist were satisfactory (between r=.54 and r=.68), outliers were observed. RESULTS suggest that the factor analytically derived taxonomy may be more valid.
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Policlinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Johannes-Gutenberg-University-Clinic, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Höflich
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rasting
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mach
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pless
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Danckworth
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reimer
authors.forename: Manfred E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Beutel