Preliminary validity and reliability testing of a structured clinical interview for pathological gambling

The psychometric properties of a clinician-administered, DSM-IV-based, structured clinical interview for pathological gambling (SCI-PG) were examined. Seventy-two consecutive subjects requesting treatment for gambling problems were administered the SCI-PG. Reliability and validity were determined. Classification accuracy was examined using longitudinal course of illness. The SCI-PG demonstrated excellent inter-rater and test-retest reliability. Concurrent validity was observed with the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). Discriminant validity was observed with measures of anxiety and depression. The SCI-PG demonstrated both high sensitivity and specificity based on longitudinal assessment. The SCT-PG demonstrated excellent reliability and validity in diagnosing PG in subjects presenting with gambling problems. These findings require replication in other groups to examine their generalizability. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.