Validity of Family Informants' Ratings of Psychiatric Patients: Differential Validity

Ratings of psychiatric inpatients by members of their families at admission were validated against ratings by hospital personnel and patients' self-ratings. There were low, but statistically significant, relationships across data sources, but there were also systematic differences in regard to what symptom areas were measured most validly and what was regarded as most pathological by each data source. Ward-based ratings were most effective at rating conceptual disturbance and regarded schizophrenics as showing the most pathology. Family raters were most effective at rating hostile, belligerent behavior and regarded the miscellaneous group of acting out disorders as most disturbed. Patients' ratings fell between these two data sources but tended to stress anxiety and depression.