Original article Norwegian version of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview: Feasibility, acceptability and test-retest reliability in an acute psychiatric ward J. Mordal a, * , Ø. Gundersen b , J.G. Bramness c,d a Psychiatric Department, Lovisenberg Deaconal Hospital, N-0440 Oslo, Norway b University Hospital of North Norway, Pb 84, N-9038 Tromsø, Norway c Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research, Kirkeveien 166, N-0407 Oslo, Norway d Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, N-0403 Oslo, Norway Received 4 June 2008; received in revised form 25 February 2009; accepted 26 February 2009 Available online 23 June 2009 Abstract Objective: To assess the feasibility, patient and clinician acceptability and test-retest reliability of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) used by non-psychiatrists in an acute psychiatric ward. Method: Of 268 consecutive patients included in a cross-sectional study, 176 (66%) completed MINI, and were compared to patients not interviewed. Patients and clinicians were questioned about the interview, using Visual Analogue Scales (VAS). For 38 patients, test-retest reliability was assessed with Cohen’s kappa and observed agreement. Results: MINI was not feasible for all patients. Among factors associated with not being interviewed were early discharge, psychosis, substance use and involuntary admissions. Although evaluations by patients and clinicians completing the postinterview questionnaire varied, MINI was generally perceived as being useful and feasible. Psychotic symptoms were associated with a less positive experience with MINI for both patients and clinicians. In the test-retest analyses, kappa values indicated excellent agreement for six diagnoses, fair to good for six and poor for seven, whereas observed agreement was 75% or above for all disorders. Conclusion: Among patients admitted to an acute psychiatric ward willing and able to complete the interview, MINI was well accepted by patients and clinicians, and has moderately good test-retest reliability. # 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. Keywords: MINI; Structured diagnosis; Psychiatric inpatients; Feasibility; Acceptability; Reliability 1. Introduction Proper diagnostic evaluation is fundamental to ensure adequate treatment and follow-up of psychiatric patients. Open clinical interviews are considered insufficient for valid psychiatric diagnoses, and comprehensive structured inter- views such as Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) may improve diagnostic accuracy [1,2,23]. As time is often limited in clinical practise, however, the Mini-Interna- tional Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was developed to meet the need for a brief structured diagnostic interview [18]. MINI is based on ‘‘yes’’ and ‘‘no’’ answers and covers 23 Axis I disorders. For the English and French versions of MINI, excellent interrater and test-retest reliability have been reported, as well as moderate convergent validity relative to the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and SCID [8,19]. The interview has been translated into 43 languages [12], and reliability and validity have been explored for the Italian, Japanese and Moroccan versions [6,14,16]. No similar studies have been performed in the Nordic countries. MINI is well-accepted by psychiatric outpatients with moderate psychopathology, and could easily be incorporated into that setting [15]. Its feasibility and acceptability have not been studied in psychiatric emergency services, however. The aims of this study were to investigate the feasibility, patient and clinician acceptability and test-retest reliability of European Psychiatry 25 (2010) 172–177 * Corresponding author. E-mail address: jon.mordal@medisin.uio.no (J. Mordal). 0924-9338/$ – see front matter # 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2009.02.004