Validating a method of psychiatric case identification in Jamaica.

Abstract

There is an urgent need for simple, reliable instruments for psychiatric research in developing countries. Limited resources, however, make the development of instruments de novo difficult. A simple method for establishing the validity of a method of case identification in a new population is described. A shortened version of a standard general health questionnaire was shown to be an effective method of identifying non-psychotic disorders in Jamaica, subject to a recalibration.