Handbook of Diagnostic and Structured Interviewing

Book excerpt: Standardized interviews provide a systematic and validated approach to clinical assessment and diagnosis. This comprehensive handbook presents current, authoritative information on the principal interviews used to evaluate adults and children in a wide range of contexts and settings. It offers crucial guidance on the selection of appropriate measures for Axis I disorders, Axis II disorders, and specialized syndromes, providing up-to-date data on reliability, validity, and clinical applications. Structured to facilitate comparison across measures, chapters present key information in a clear format that includes bulleted text and tables. Summary boxes offer quick access to such vital practical details as administration requirements, distinctive features, and how each major measure can be obtained. Special features include coverage of recently developed interviews, a cutting-edge chapter on forensic applications, and attention to overarching issues of research and practice. Unique in the depth and breadth of its coverage, the Handbook represents a complete revision and expansion of the author's previous work, Diagnostic and Structured Interviewing. An essential reference for psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals and trainees, it also serves as a graduate-level text.