Procedural validity of an abbreviated version of the SADS/RDC diagnostic process.

Formal diagnostic systems such as the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) and standardized diagnostic interviews such as the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS) have enhanced clinical psychiatric research over the past decade. Because of the cost and time factors, however, they are not routinely used in most clinical settings. The availability of reliable alternatives compatible with clinical practice would encourage more psychiatrists to engage in clinical research. This study describes the nature and procedural validity of two such alternatives based on the RDC. Acceptably accurate, less costly research diagnostic processes can be incorporated into clinically oriented short-term acute inpatient units.