Comparison of Clinical Diagnoses, NIMH-DISC-IV Diagnoses and SCL-90-R Ratings in an Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Unit: A Brief Report.

INTRODUCTION: To compare results of clinical diagnosis, NIMH DISC-IV diagnoses and the Global Severity Index of the Symptom Check List- Revised (SCL-90-R) in an adolescent inpatient population. METHOD: NIMH DISC-IV and SCL-90-R were administered to consecutive admissions to the inpatient adolescent unit of a teaching hospital as a regular admission procedure. RESULTS: There was better agreement between clinical diagnosis and the NIMH-DISC-IV diagnosis as compared to previous studies for NIMH DISC-IV. The presence of an NIMH DISC-IV diagnosis was associated with elevated SCL-90-R scores. CONCLUSION: Structured diagnostic interviews and Self rated symptom scales are useful adjuncts in clinical diagnostics, enhancing valuable clinical expertise.