title: Overview of psychiatric scales used in Nepal: their reliability, validity and cultural appropriateness.
abstract: A review of the Western mental health scales that have been utilized in Nepal was conducted. Academic search engines (PubMed, MEDLINE, PsychLIT, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Anthropology Plus) were searched using relevant terms for the years 1990-2011. Search results indicated a limited number of mental health scales had been used and/or developed in Nepal with mixed emphasis on reliability and validity, as well as cultural considerations. These scales, methods and limitations are discussed within the cultural and social background of Nepal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Practice Unit, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Soma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ganesan
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McKenna
mesh_terms: D003469:Culture; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: DSM-IV; Nepal; outcome measure; psychiatric assessment; review