Agreement between telephone and in-person delivery of a structured interview for anxiety disorders in children

Objective: The current study determined the viability of using the telephone to facilitate assessment of children using the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for children for DSM-IV(ADIS-C-IV). Method: Diagnoses established during telephone administration of the ADIS-C-IV-Parent version were compared with diagnoses obtained during standard administration of the ADIS-C-IV using both Child and Parent versions. Seventy-three children and their parents participated in counterbalanced, repeated assessments. Results: The level of agreement between telephone and standard administration for principal diagnosis (κ = 0.86), individual anxiety disorders (κ = 0.63-0.86), and other disorders (κ = 0.79-0.91) were in the good to excellent range. Additionally, agreement on overall suitability for an anxiety treatment program was excellent (κ = 0.97). Conclusions: The data indicate that telephone administration of the ADIS-C-IV is a valid way to differentiate children who have anxiety disorders from those who have no disorder or other disorders, providing a less resource-demanding alternative to face-to-face assessment.