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Authors: Sharma, Vimal K¹; Lepping, Peter²; Krishna, Murali²; Durrani, Shazia³; Copeland, John RM⁴; Mottram, Patricia⁴; Parhee, Rashmi¹; Quinn, Bennett⁵; Lane, Steven⁶; Cummins, Anthony⁷

Source: British Journal of General Practice, Volume 58, Number 551, June 2008 , pp. 411-416(6)

Abstract:

Background

The Global Mental Health Assessment Tool — Primary Care Version (GMHAT/PC) has been developed to assist health professionals to make a quick and comprehensive standardised mental health assessment. It has proved to be a reliable and valid tool in a previous study involving GPs. Its use by other health professionals may help in detecting and managing mental disorders in primary care and general health settings.

Aim

To assess the feasibility of using a computer-assisted diagnostic interview by nurses and to examine the level of agreement between the GMHAT/PC diagnosis and psychiatrists' clinical diagnosis.

Design of study

Cross-sectional validation study.

Setting

Primary care, general healthcare (cardiac rehabilitation clinic), and community mental healthcare settings.

Method

A total of 215 patients between the ages of 16 and 75 years were assessed by nurses and psychiatrists in various settings: primary care centre (n = 54), cardiac rehabilitation centre (n = 98), and community mental health clinic (n = 63). The time taken for the interview, and feedback from patients and interviewers were indicators of feasibility, and the kappa coefficient (κ), sensitivity, and specificity of the GMHAT/PC diagnosis were measures of validity.

Results

Mean duration of interview was under 15 minutes. The agreement between nurses' GMHAT/PC interview-based diagnosis and psychiatrists' International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 criteria-based clinical diagnosis was 80% (κ = 0.76, sensitivity = 0.84, specificity = 0.92).

Conclusion

The GMHAT/PC can assist nurses to make accurate mental health assessment and diagnosis in various healthcare settings and it is acceptable to patients.

Keywords: diagnosis; computer-assisted; mental disorders; mental health services; psychiatric diagnosis

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.3399/bjgp08X299218

Affiliations: 1: Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Wirral 2: North East Wales NHS Trust, Wrexham, Wales 3: Shiekh Khalifah Medical City, Behaviour Sciences Pavillion, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 4: Department of Psychiatry, Liverpool University, Liverpool 5: Blackheath Medical Centre, Wirral PCT, Moreton, Wirral 6: Centre for Medical Statistics and Health Evaluation, Liverpool University, Liverpool 7: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

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