Pilot epidemiological study in Taegu, Korea.

One hundred and seven normal Korean subjects were interviewed with the Korean translation of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule as part of a pilot epidemiological study in Taegu, Korea. A surprisingly high number of these subjects met criteria for the DSM diagnosis made by the computer scored interview. Psychiatric residents reinterviewed twelve subjects who were computer diagnosed as having psychopathology. Comparisons of clinical diagnoses vs. computer diagnoses are presented and discussed. The National Institute of Mental Health of the United States has embarked on exciting studies of the epidemiology of mental disorders. In order to accurately measure the prevalence of mental disorders in normal population, the NIMH contracted for the creation of a diagnostic interview schedule. Lee Robins, Ph.D. of the Washington University School of Medicine, created the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Currently it is in Version III. Our study was done with Version II, which had been translated into the Korean language. A report of the validity of the DIS in English has been published by Robins. (5) In addition, there have been review articles by Hedlund and Viewig. (2) The DIS has been patterned after the DSM III so that when the interview is correctly done, criteria for the diagnosis according to DSM III, the Research Diagnostic Criteria, and the Renard Hospital Diagnostic Criteria are within the questions asked during the interview. In English, our experience has shown that Version II takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour and a half. In Asian languages, our experience shows that the interview takes somewhat longer. (10).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)