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Clinical assessment of family interaction: a reliability study
Author(s) -
Kinston Warren,
Loader Peter,
Stratford Jackie
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1467-6427
pISSN - 0163-4445
DOI - 10.1046/j..1979.00502.x
Subject(s) - reliability (semiconductor) , psychology , inclusion (mineral) , clinical psychology , psychiatry , family therapy , social psychology , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics
A standardized Current Family State Assessment was developed for possible use by family therapists. This study investigated the ability of clinicians to agree on thirty commonly used clinical and research categories. A psychiatrist and a social worker received a brief period of training and then independently rated thirty‐two whole family interviews, using twelve 'non‐labelled' families and eleven families referred for psychiatric disturbance in the child. Twenty‐five categories were rated with moderate reliability over all families, and in any one interview the raters produced very similar rating profiles. Potential sources of unreliability are discussed. The inclusion of a systematic description of whole family interaction in routine psychiatric assessment is recommended.