A STUDY TO EVALUATE THE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE INDEX OF RECIDIVISM IN THE CHRONICALLY MENTALLY ILL (MENTALLY ILL).
Contributors: University of Wyoming.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 150
Subjects: Health Sciences, Mental Health.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Psychometrics.
Description: The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Index of Recidivism in the Chronically Mentally Ill. The instrument was previously tested for a Master's thesis. The revisions from that study were then further tested for this study.

The validity of the variables not found acceptable in the previous study was assessed by two expert judges using a modified Q-sort for the revised variables. All variables were found to be acceptable for importance to the chronically mentally ill (content validity), accuracy of definition, and placement within the theoretical model (congruency of epistemic assumptions or construct validity). Content validity of the instrument variables was evaluated comparing the data gathered by the expert judge and by the data gatherer for a generalizability coefficient of.82.

The instrument was tested with a sample of 50 client records using a data gatherer and the primary researcher. The interrater reliability and intrarater reliability generalizability coefficients were.87 and.88 respectively. Further research to establish indices of recidivism using the IRCMI is indicated.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-12, Section: B, page: 5805.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING, 1990.

School code: 0264.