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Family Interview for Genetic Studies (FIGS)/ Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS)

Full name of scale

Family Interview for Genetic Studies

Languages

English

Rater

Clinician-rated family interview

Training

Training is required

Utility

It is used by a trained interviewer to collect information about biological relatives of the subject who has a mental disorder.

It can be used to characterize the diagnoses in first- and second-degree biological relatives of a person with a major mental illness. Family history in close relatives allows an assessment of genetic susceptibility and may be seen as a psychosocial measure of family burden of illness.

Versions

  • FIGS 1.0; the original version
  • FIGS (1999)
  • FIGS MGS; derived from FIGS 1999 with an added Modified MGS Psychosis Checklist, some informant information recorded differently
  • FIGS version 3.0; No FIGS interview, includes screening form and checklists (alcohol abuse/dependence, ADHD)
  • FIGS 4.0; derived from FIGS 1999 with an added family summary and FIGS composite sheet, different impairment rating, unrelated Paranoid/Schizoid/Schizotypal Personality and Other sections

Time to complete

No information found

Cost/license

Open access. All versions can be downloaded from here: https://www.nimhgenetics.org/resources/clinical-instruments/figs/list-of-figs

Maxwell, M. (1992). Manual for the Family Interview for Genetic Studies. Bethesda, MD: National Institute of Mental Health.

Nurnberger, J. I., Blehar, M. C., Kaufmann, C. A., York-Cooler, C., Simpson, S. G., Harkavy-Friedman, J., … Reich, T. (1994). Diagnostic interview for genetic studies: Rationale, unique features, and training. Archives of General Psychiatry, 51(11), 849–859. Follow this link for the article.

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