The assessment of psychiatric disability in the community. A comparison of clinical, staff, and family interviews.

Assessments of some of the symptoms and behaviour problems of long-term psychiatric patients living in the community were obtained independently from clinical interviews with such patients, and from interviews with day staff, residential staff and families caring for them. In general, interviews with residential staff and family members revealed much higher levels of symptoms and behaviour problems than either of the other two interviews. These findings have implications for research and clinical practice including the fact that adequate assessments should include the testimony of family or residential staff.