The AMDP-system in clinical psychopharmacology.

The AMDP-system, elaborated by the Association for Methodology and Documentation in Psychiatry, comprises three anamnestic forms and two rating scales on present psychopathological and somatic states. Moreover, three subscales have been developed in order to assess more specifically anxiety, manic/depressive, and schizophrenic symptomatology. The psychometric properties of the AMDP-system (interrater reliability, validity, homogeneity, sensitivity) and its availability in most European languages make it an ideal instrument for the assessment of clinical changes in drug trials, with the possibility of using the comprehensive scale for the early evaluation of a new drug and of reserving the short subscales for later clinical development.