Comparative evaluation of the predictive power of the DSM-IV Disruptive Behavior Disorders in a preschool population
Abstract
Examination of the relative validity of the DSM-IV Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBD) criteria with preschoolers was the purpose of the present study. The participants (N = 60) consisted of a community sample of mothers of preschool-aged children. Two matched groups (clinic and controls) were formed based on an external criterion (i.e., clinically-significant scores on the Child Behavior Checklist). Diagnostic efficiency indices were obtained to determine the utility ofDBD categories for classification of preschool-aged children. Measures included the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC 2.3), Revised Behavior Problem Checklist, and the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory. It was hypothesized that the DSM-IV Disruptive Behavior Disorders categories (i.e., Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Conduct Disorder) would be overidentified in the sample and that the DBD categorical system would be less diagnostically accurate as compared to dimensional rating scales in identifying true clinically-significant behavior as determined by an external criterion. Results revealed that the DBD categories were comparable to normed rating scales in their positive predict power (PPP)--ability to detect caseness--as well as in their negative predictive power (NPP)--ability to screen out cases. Furthermore, the DBD criteria demonstrated varying utility for diagnostic purposes with children in this age range.
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- OSU Dissertations [11222]