Preliminary validity and reliability testing of a structured clinical interview for pathological gambling

• Published in: Psychiatry research Vol. 128; no. 1; pp. 79 - 88
• Main Authors: Grant, Jon E., Steinberg, Marvin A., Kim, Suck Won, Rounsaville, Bruce J., Potenza, Marc N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 30.08.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Demography; Diagnosis; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders - diagnosis; Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders - epidemiology; Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders - psychology; Female; Gambling - psychology; Humans; Impulse control; Interview, Psychological; Male; Medical sciences; Observer Variation; Pathological gambling; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychometrics. Diagnostic aid systems; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Reproducibility of Results; Severity of Illness Index; Structured clinical interview; Techniques and methods; Pathological gambling; Structured clinical interview; Impulse control; Diagnosis; Psychosis; Human; Validity; Follow up study; Clinical interview; Schizophrenia; Psychometrics; Gamble; Reliability; Gambling game
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2004.05.006

The psychometric properties of a clinician-administered, DSM-IV-based, structured clinical interview for pathological gambling (SCI-PG) were examined. Seventy-two consecutive subjects requesting treatment for gambling problems were administered the SCI-PG. Reliability and validity were determined. Classification accuracy was examined using longitudinal course of illness. The SCI-PG demonstrated excellent inter-rater and test–retest reliability. Concurrent validity was observed with the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). Discriminant validity was observed with measures of anxiety and depression. The SCI-PG demonstrated both high sensitivity and specificity based on longitudinal assessment. The SCI-PG demonstrated excellent reliability and validity in diagnosing PG in subjects presenting with gambling problems. These findings require replication in other groups to examine their generalizability.