Evaluation of the Amharic version of the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents (DICA-R) in Addis Ababa
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Date
1999
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Addis Abeba Universty
Abstract
The acceptability, reliability and feasibility of
Amharic version of the Revised Diagnostic Interview for
Children and Adolescent (DICA-R) was evaluated in Addis
Ababa city by clinician, lay interviewers and respondents
from different setting.
A total of 265 respondents included in the age of 6-
18 years from the community, Amanuel psychiatric Hospital
(inpatient and outpatient) and schools (mentally
disordered children) were interviewed between 25 June to
28 July, 1997.
interview by
Of the 255 respondents who completed an
a clinician and lay interviewers 189
respondents had one or more diagnoses, while 66 had no
diagnoses.
The clinician and most of the lay interviewers and
respondents judged the DICA-R as being acceptable and as
feasible for use in different setting. The few concern
expressed about the interview was the length of the
interview and difficulties with few of the items.
The most frequent life time and six months diagnoses
by all interviewers were phobia, separation anxiety,
overanxious, major depressive episode, conduct disorders
and enuresis . For any specific diagnoses made with the
frequency of five or more time, percentage agreements
were above 89% and the kappa values were ranged from 0.72
to 1 . 00 . The lowest kappa value was for dysthymic
disorder, while the highest kappa value was for manic
disorder. It is concluded that the Amharic version of
DICA-R is reliable, acceptable and feasible for use.
Similar studies using DICA-R in rural communities are
recommended .
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Keywords
Evaluation of the Amharic version