The background, design and use of a short interview to assess social stress and support in research and clinical settings

A brief, standardised and semi-structured social screening interview, designed to identify and quantify social stresses and supports, is described. This experimental interview covers the domains of occupation, finance, housing, social relationships, marriage and family, and may be given to either the subject or an informant or both. Ratings are made by interviewers standardised in its use. Validity and reliability are assessed and discussed. The use of the interview is described in a prospective study of 100 identified men and women with non-psychotic psychiatric disorders where, in these circumstances, it proved to be a significant predictor and correlate of psychiatric outcome.