Validity of Best-Estimate Methodology in Assessing Psychosocial Risk Factors and Making Psychiatric Diagnoses in Hong Kong Chinese who Attempt Suicide

The validity of the best-estimate method for making psychiatric diagnoses & determining potential psychosocial risk factors was examined in a cohort of Hong Kong Chinese who attempted suicide. 71 suicide attempters & their proxy-informants were interviewed separately. There were substantial levels of agreement, high sensitivity & specificity on Axis I psychiatric diagnoses in subject-proxy pairs. Levels of subject-proxy agreement were substantial for other risk factor domains. Results support the validity of this methodology among Hong Kong Chinese who have attempted suicide. (24 refs.)