A German version of the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure (SWAP-200) for the dimensional assessment of personality disorders.
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.
Höflich
Anke
A
Clinic and Policlinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Johannes-Gutenberg-University-Clinic, Mainz, Germany.
Rasting
Marcus
M
Mach
Jens
J
Pless
Silke
S
Danckworth
Simon
S
Reimer
Christian
C
Beutel
Manfred E
ME