Interviewers' observations

The clinical raters who make the diagnoses do not meet the parents or children. Whether they get the diagnoses right depends on the quality of the information they receive. You can obviously help them by providing detailed transcripts of respondents' accounts of the problems in their own words. Another important way you can help them is by adding any relevant observations of your own to the end of the transcript. Naturally enough, what's needed is objective information rather than value judgements ("He's a nice kid", "I didn't like the parents"). Examples of really helpful observations include:

  • These parents didn't seem to understand the questions well because English is not their first language - I really don't think they understood the questions about obsessions and compulsions.
  • Although this child is 11, he has learning difficulties and his mother didn't think he would understand the questions. I did administer the interview, but I think his mother was right - he often seemed to be answering at random or saying whatever it was he thought I wanted to hear.
  • This child was one of the most restless individuals I have ever interviewed. She spent the whole time fidgeting and wriggling, and often got up and wandered around the room. On a few occasions she briefly left the room, but came back by herself. Though she enjoyed being interviewed, it was hard work keeping her attention on what I was asking - she was very distractible.
  • When I got to section E and asked about possible traumas, he mentioned that he had been involved in a horrible car accident but added that he didn't want to say anything about it. He looked very upset and was clearly unwilling to answer further questions on the topic.
  • Part of the way through the interview, she said that she was fed up and that her favourite TV program was starting soon. I offered to take a break and finish the interview another day, but she said she just wanted to get it over with. From that point on, she said 'No' to all screening questions - that may have been true but it is also possible that she was denying problems to speed the interview up.

There is an opportunity for you to record your observations at the end of the interview.

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Last modified : 05/09/09