Development, reliability, and validity of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Interview for Vietnamese refugees: a diagnostic instrument for Vietnamese refugees.

The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Interview for Vietnamese Refugees (PTSD-IVR) was created specifically to assess for the presence of current and lifetime history of premigration, migration, encampment, and postmigration traumas in Vietnamese refugees. The purpose of the present study was to describe the development of and investigate the interrater and test-retest reliability of the PTSD-IVR and its validity in relation to the diagnoses obtained from the Longitudinal, Expert, and All Data (LEAD; Spitzer, 1983) standard. Clinicians conducted the diagnosis process with 127 Vietnamese refugees using the LEAD standard and the PTSD-IVR. Assessment of the reliability and validity of the PTSD-IVR yielded good to excellent AUC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve; .86, .87) and κ values (.66, .74) indicating the reliability of the PTSD-IVR and the agreement between the LEAD procedure and the PTSD-IVR. The results of the present study suggest that the PTSD-IVR performs successfully as a diagnostic instrument specifically created for Vietnamese refugees in their native language.

Reliability and Validity of the Vietnamese Depression Interview (VDI).

Current instruments used to aid in the diagnosis of psychological disorders have limited effectiveness with clients from Asian backgrounds. The Vietnamese Depression Interview (VDI) is a diagnostic instrument created to assess the presence of current and lifetime history of major depressive disorder specifically among Vietnamese refugees and immigrants. The purpose of the present study is to provide a description of the VDI, while also noting it as a reliable and valid means by which to assess depression in Vietnamese individuals. Using the Longitudinal, Expert, and All Data (LEAD; Spitzer in Compr Psychiatry 24:399-411, 1983) standard and the VDI, experienced clinicians conducted the diagnosis process with 127 Vietnamese refugees and immigrants. Assessment of the reliability and validity of the VDI yielded good to excellent AUC and kappa values, indicating the reliability of the VDI and the agreement between the LEAD procedure and the VDI. These study results imply that the VDI performs successfully as a diagnostic instrument specifically created for Vietnamese refugees and immigrants in their native language. Current and future contributions of the VDI with Vietnamese individuals are discussed.