Accuracy of DSM-III diagnoses following a training program

The authors describe a 2 1/2-day training program designed to teach mental health professionals how to use a new DSM-III classification scheme. The 251 participants had previous clinical training but no prior exposure to DSM-III. They were asked to diagnose three cases from a series of five videotapes case vignettes; the authors then compared the participants' diagnoses with the expert opinion of clinical faculty. The degree of agreement among the participants with the expert opinion varied across the five cases, but the overall level of agreement was high (74.2%). These results indicate that with adequate training the new DSM-III classification scheme can be accurately applied to diagnostic situations.