The Feasibility of the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (SCID-I) as a Practical and Culturally Appropriate Method of Diagnosing Mental Disorders in Indigenous Australians

Abstract

<p><b>Background</b> Although there have been many small studies of mental health in specific Indigenous Australian communities, reliable data on mental illness is mostly lacking. Studies that evaluated a range of mental illnesses using structured diagnostic assessments have not attempted to culturally validate these assessments. Therefore, it is not known whether structured diagnostic tools employed in the literature provide accurate prevalence data of mental illness in Indigenous Australians.</p> <b>Objectives</b> To determine, in Indigenous Australians, the cultural appropriateness of the Structured Clinical Interview for the <i>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders</i> (DSM)-IV-TR Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) and to provide insight into the prevalence of mental illness in this population.