ISR

Overview

The ICD-10-Symptom-Rating (ISR) is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess psychological symptoms in accordance with the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria. This tool helps in identifying and measuring the severity of a wide range of mental health symptoms, providing valuable information for both clinical practice and research.

Purpose

The ISR aims to:

• Screen for psychological symptoms based on ICD-10 criteria
• Assist in the diagnosis of mental health disorders
• Monitor symptom changes over time

Structure

The ISR consists of 29 items, each representing symptoms from various mental health categories defined by the ICD-10. Respondents rate the frequency and intensity of each symptom over the past two weeks on a 5-point Likert scale. The items cover a broad spectrum of psychological conditions, including:

• Depression: Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest
• Anxiety: Symptoms of nervousness, tension, and worry
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Recurrent, intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors
• Somatization: Physical symptoms without a clear medical cause
• Eating Disorders: Abnormal eating behaviors and attitudes toward food and body image

Scoring and Interpretation

Each item is scored on a scale from 0 to 4, with higher total scores indicating greater severity of symptoms. The ISR provides an overall symptom severity score as well as subscale scores for specific symptom clusters, aiding clinicians in understanding the patient's symptom profile and guiding treatment planning.

Applications

• Clinical Use: The ISR is widely used by mental health professionals to diagnose and assess the severity of various psychological disorders. It is useful in initial evaluations, ongoing assessments, and monitoring the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.
• Research Use: The ISR is frequently employed in research studies to measure the prevalence and severity of mental health symptoms, evaluate treatment outcomes, and investigate the underlying mechanisms of psychological disorders.

Psychometric Properties

The ISR has demonstrated strong psychometric properties:

• Reliability: The ISR exhibits high internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients typically exceeding 0.80, indicating that the items consistently measure the intended psychological constructs. Test-retest reliability is also robust, ensuring that the ISR reliably captures symptom changes over time.
• Validity: The ISR has shown excellent construct validity, correlating well with other established measures of mental health symptoms and aligning with clinical diagnoses. Concurrent validity is supported by strong correlations with clinician-rated symptom severity, while discriminant validity is evidenced by its ability to differentiate between various psychological disorders.

Translation and Adaptation

The ISR has been translated into multiple languages and culturally adapted for use in diverse populations. These translations have undergone rigorous validation processes to ensure their accuracy and reliability, making the ISR a globally applicable tool.

Conclusion

The ICD-10-Symptom-Rating (ISR) is a valuable instrument for assessing and monitoring a wide range of psychological symptoms. Its robust psychometric properties, ease of use, and applicability in both clinical and research settings make it an essential tool for mental health professionals. By providing a detailed assessment of psychological symptoms, the ISR contributes significantly to the diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of mental health disorders.