Psychiatric assessment in medical long‐term care facilities: Reliability of commonly used rating scales

Clinical assessment of psychopathology includes quantifying symptoms on rating scales. Caution must be used in applying standardized instruments to new populations because their reliability may alter considerably. This study assesses the interrater reliability of six well‐known rating scales when applied to patients residing in a medical long‐term care facility. The scales include measures of depression, psychosis and cognitive impairment. The specific scales used were: Hamilton Depression Scale; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; Mini‐Mental State Examination; Mental Status Questionnaire; Global Deterioration Scale; and Brief Cognitive Rating Scale.