The Reliability of Auto-anamnesis

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to study the reliability of auto-anamnestic information. This was carried out on the one hand by checking low back auto-anamnesis against index data among low back sick-listed individuals, on the other hand by comparing the interviewed individuals' statements to two doctors with different personal and professional backgrounds. Among the low back sick-listed individuals almost all claimed to suffer anamnestic low back trouble. 25% of those with only one spell of low back sick-listing denied having been low back sick-listed. The agreement between the investigators was satisfactory regarding part of the information but very unsatisfactory regarding other parts, as for example the degree of “seriousness” of the back trouble. Among the individuals interviewed a correlation could be found between some personality-psychology variables and the reliability of anamnestic answers. The results show that in epidemiological investigations it is necessary to bear in mind that auto-anamnestic information is influenced by such sources of error as the special social norms and dispositions of the investigators as well as personality traits of the investigated individuals.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

1. Beard, G. M. : Practical Treatise on Nervous Exhaustion (Neurasthenia). New York, 1892.

2. Bleuler, E. : Die Probleme der Schizoidie und der Syntonie. Z ges Neur Psych 78: 373, 1922.

3. Calais, S. : Intervju-och samtalsteknik i Medicinsk sociologi (ed. Israel J. & S. Calais ). Almqvist & Wiksell. Stockholm, 1967.

4. Cochrane, A. L. , Chapman, P. J. & Oldham, P. D. : Observers' errors in taking medical histories. Lancet I: 1007, 1951.

5. Dahlström, E. : Intervju-och enkätteknik. Natur och Kultur, Stockholm, 1957.

6. Engle, R. L., Jr & Davis, B. J. : Medical diagnosis: present, past and future. Arch Int Med 112: 512, 1963.

7. Heron, A. : J Appl Psychol 40: 65, 1956. Quote from: Ingham, J. G.: Quantitative evaluation of subjective symptoms. Proc Roy Soc Med 62: 492, 1969.

8. Hirsch, C. , Jansson, B. & Lewin, T. : Low-back symptoms in a Swedish female population. Clinical Orthopaedics no. 63, 1969. J. B. Lippincott. Philadelphia.

9. Hyman, H. : Interviewing in Social Research. Chapter II. The definition of the interview situation. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1954.

10.

10. Håkansson, K. : Psykisk sjukdom: Illusioner och realiteter. Prisma, 1973.

11.

11. Janet, P. : Les obsessions et la psychasthénie I-II. 2nd ed. Paris, 1908.

12.

12. Janet, P. : L'état mental des hystériques. 2nd ed. Paris, 1911.

13.

13. Kahn, R. & Cannell, C. : The Dynamics of Interviewing. Wiley, New York, 1961.

14.

14. King, L. : What is a diagnosis? JAMA 202: 714, 1967.

15.

15. Kreitman, N. , Sainsbury, P. , Morrissey, J. , Towers, J. & Scrivener, J. : The reliability of psychiatric assessment. J Ment Sci 107: 887, 1961.

16.

16. Kretschmer, E. : Körperbau und Charakter. 22nd ed. Würzburg, 1955.

17.

17. Lindberg, B. J. : Psycho-infantilism. Acta Psychiat Neurol Scand, Suppl. 61, 1950.

18.

18. Lindberg, B. J. & Lindegård, B. : Studies of the hysteroid personality attitude. Acta Psychiat Scand 39, fasc. 1, 170, 1963.

19.

19. Lindegård, B. : Asteniska personlighetsattityder. Socialmed tidskr 40: 193, 1963.

20.

20. Linder, F. E. : National Health Interview Surveys in Trends in the study of morbidity and mortality. Public Health Papers, No. 27, WHO, Geneva, 1965.

21.

21. Palmer, J. W. , Kasap, H. S. , Bennet, A. E. & Holland, W. W. : The use of hospitals by a defined population. Brit J Prev Soc Med 23: 91, 1969.

22.

22. Shepherd, M. , Brook, E. M. , Cooper, J. E. & Lin, T. : An experimental approach to psychiatric diagnosis. Acta Psychiat Scand Suppl. 201, 1968.

23.

23. Sjöbring, H. : 1913–1954. Quote from: Nyman, G. E.: Variations in personality. Acta Psychiat Neurol Scand, Suppl. 107, 1956.

24.

24. Szazs, T. S. : The Myth of Mental Illness. London, 1961.

25.

25. USNHS, United States National Health Survey: Health Statistics, Series D, no. 4: Reporting of hospitalization in the health interview survey. U.S. Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare, Public Health Service, Washington, D.C., 1961.

26.

26. Westrin, C. G. : Low back sick-listing. Scand J Soc Med, Suppl. 7, 1973.