Analysis of a long-term study of neurotic disorder,
with insights into the process of nonresponse


Authors: Nicholas T. Longford, SNTL, Leicester,
Peter Tyrer, Ula A. M. Nur and H. Seivewright, Imperial College, London


Abstract

This paper studies the nonresponse process in a long-term study of neurotic disorder by comparing the analysis based on the responses that were collected by the established practice of interviewing the subjects, at dates arranged in advance (appointments), with the analysis of the nearly complete set of responses collected by an extensive effort that involved attempts to interview without seeking a prior agreement (cold-calling). The method of multiple imputation is applied, and its properties are explored in a setting that is not perfectly suited for its application: relatively small sample size, ordinal score outcomes, and the likelihood that the outcomes are missing not at random.


Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A, 169 507-523 (2006).