Prism--Clinician, ADM DIAG PROC For Comorbidity Research

The Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM) usesclinician-administered interview information to make computer diagnoses of alcohol, drug and psychiatricdisorders. The PRISM has excellent test-retest reliability in community and clinical heavy drinkers anddrug users. Needs for adaptation of the PRISM include (1) development of a briefer version of the PRISMby removing all non DSM-IV material, and (2) extension of the present PRISM for studies requiringmulti-system diagnoses and/or more specific information on the relationship between alcohol/drug useend the onset, exacerbation and offset of psychiatric disorders. During Phase I, the PRISM would beadapted into short and long versions. During Phase II, (1) the computer software for cleaning anddiagnoses would be adapted for the short and long versions, (2) training materials developed, and (3)reliability and validity tests conducted in alcohol, drug and psychiatric samples and community subjects,balanced by gender and minority status. This work would constitute further innovation of successfulnew procedures that already constitute departures from older methods. The proposed furtherinnovations (especially the short version) should increase the commercial applications of the PRISM byappealing to a much wider range of researchers, as well as to clinicians for teaching purposes.