Reliability and Validity of the Daily Living Activities Scale: A Functional Assessment Measure for Severe Mental Disorders

Abstract

Objective: Two studies evaluated the validity and reliability of the Daily Living Activities Scale (DLA), a 20-item functional assessment measure for adults with severe mental disorders. Method: The first study evaluated the internal consistency and interrater reliability of the DLA scoring for 85 clients with severe mental disorders currently receiving services from one of five different treatment programs. In the second study, symptomatology and functional assessment data were collected for 886 clients at time of admission to three different levels of care in community treatment and support services and at the time of 6-month progress reviews. Results: Internal consistency and interrater reliability were adequate. Criterion-related validity was evidenced by the ability of DLA scores to differentiate consumers in different levels of care and by diagnostic categories. Conclusions: Study findings provide evidence of the usefulness of the DLA to support the functional assessment data needs of service providers.