Patients’ feedback after computer-assisted diagnostic interviews for mental disorders

Abstract

Little is known about how psychotherapy patients perceive and evaluate computer-assisted diagnostic interviews for mental disorders. Using the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview in its computer-administered form, psychologists interviewed 236 psychotherapy patients, who evaluated the interview with regard to content, comprehensibility, and acceptance. More than 87% of patients evaluated the interview positively. Higher symptom severity and comorbidity, but not depression, were associated with a slightly lower but still favorable appraisal. The results indicate that the use of computerized clinical diagnostic interviews, previously usually restricted to research, seems to be a time-efficient, economical, and acceptable approach for the diagnostic phase of psychotherapy. The indications of diminished acceptability among multimorbid and severely disturbed patients warrant further study. Implications for quality assurance and practice research networks are discussed.