Assessing DSM-5 level of personality functioning from videotaped clinical interviews: a pilot study with untrained and clinically inexperienced students

J Pers Assess. 2014;96(4):397-409. doi: 10.1080/00223891.2013.852563. Epub 2013 Nov 13.

Abstract

Several authors have raised the concern that the DSM-5 Level of Personality Functioning Scale (LPFS) is relatively complex and theory laden, and thus might put high requirements on raters. We addressed this concern by having 22 untrained and clinically inexperienced students assess the personality functioning of 10 female psychotherapy inpatients from videotaped clinical interviews, using a multi-item version of the LPFS. Individual raters' LPFS total scores showed acceptable interrater reliability, and were significantly associated with 2 distinct expert-rated measures of the severity of personality pathology. These findings suggest that, contrary to the previously mentioned concerns, successfully applying the LPFS to clinical cases might require neither extensive clinical experience nor training.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interview, Psychological
  • Male
  • Personality Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Pilot Projects
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / standards*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Students*
  • Universities
  • Video Recording
  • Young Adult