The Chinese Version of the Relative Assessment Interview (CRAI) for Offenders with Mental Illness

Twenty-three items relating to the forensic nature of mental illness, based on a model proposed by Tsang, Pearson & Yuen (2002), and clinical experience, were added to the original Relative Assessment Interview (Barrowclough & Tarrier, 1992). The expanded version was then translated and validated by 10 panelists experienced in psychiatric rehabilitation. With minor revisions, the Chinese Version of Relative Assessment Interview (CRAI) consists of three parts. The first part has 47 items under subheadings including background information, household tasks, money matters, interests and activities of the relative, and relationship with the parent. The second part has 23 items and concerns of the forensic background of the person with mental illness. The third part is the last question which asks the respondent about anything not covered in the previous two parts. The Chinese version shows potential to be applied in Hong Kong and other Chinese communities in Asia to study the family burden of offenders with mental illness.