Objectives: The MINI is a short (15-30 minutes) structured diagnostic interview compatible with DSM-III-R/IV and ICD-10 criteria. It was designed for the clinical practice and research in psychiatric and primary care settings. Clinicians learn how to use it after a short training (1-3 hours). The MINI Plus is a more detailed version that helps mainly with the diagnosis of Psychotic and Mood DSM-IV Disorders. Here are presented the results of 4 MINI validation studies conducted in Europe and the U.S. Methods: The studies 1 (France) and 2 (U.S.) tested the DSM-III-R MINI reliability (inter-rater and test-retest; n=84, 42 psychiatric patients from each center) and its validity comparing with the CIDI (n=346, 296 psychiatric patients and 50 controls) and the SCID-P (n=370, 308 psychiatric patients and 62 controls), respectively. The study 3 tested the validity of general practitioners' diagnoses using the MINI (DSM-IV) compared with expert psychiatrists' diagnoses for 409 patients of primary care centers in four countries (France, Spain, Italy and United Kingdom). The study 4 tested inter-rater reliability (n=20 psychiatric patients) and the Psychotic Disorders, Depression and Mania modules validity of the Mini Plus <FONT FACE="Symbol">-</FONT>DSM-IV (n=104 psychiatric patients) compared with two standard criteria: CIDI and expert psychiatrists' diagnoses. Quantitative (indexes of agreement and validity) and qualitative (sources of discrepancies) analyses were performed. Results: The MINI (studies 1 e 2) and MINI Plus (study 4) reliability were overall satisfactory. Compared to various diagnostic standard criteria (CIDI, SCID-P, expert opinion) in different settings (psychiatric and primary care centers), MINI and the MINI Plus showed the same psychometric properties seen in more complex structured diagnostic interviews, reducing in more than 50% the assessment time. Qualitative analyses identified diagnostic difficulties and bias related to cases, assessment methods and diagnostic criteria. Modifications were introduced to correct any identified problem and improve the psychometric properties of the MINI/MINI Plus. Conclusions: MINI and its Plus version are adjusted to the clinical setting and for the assessment of severe cases. They represent an economic alternative for selecting patients, according to international criteria, in clinical trials and epidemiologic studies. The MINI DSM-IV 5.0 is available in almost 30 languages, including a Brazilian version. Current perspectives of the interview cross-cultural adjustments and application are discussed.
Structured diagnostic interviews; Psychiatric diagnosis; MINI
