Interrater reliability of the DSM-III-R with preschool children.
Little attention has been paid to evaluating the use of DSM-III-R with preschool children. Children (N = 510) ages 2 to 5 years who were screened at the time of a pediatric visit were selected to participate in an evaluation which included questionnaires, a semistructured interview, developmental testing, and a play observation. Following the evaluation, two clinical child psychologists independently assigned DSM-III-R diagnoses. For each diagnostic category, kappa and Y coefficients were calculated; Y coefficients are less sensitive to base rates of disorders. For overall agreement, the weighted mean kappa (.61), and mean Y (.66) were moderately high. Overall agreement that the child had at least one of the disruptive disorders was substantial (kappa = .64; Y = .65); agreement that there was at least one of the emotional disorders was moderate for kappa (.54), but substantial for Y (.70). Kappa coefficients were higher for major categories of disorder than for specific disorders; however, Y coefficients did not show a decline for specific disorders. Interrater reliability of DSM-III-R appears to be similar for preschoolers and older children.
Lavigne
J V
JV
Department of Child Psychiatry #10, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois 60614.
Arend
R
R
Rosenbaum
D
D
Sinacore
J
J
Cicchetti
C
C
Binns
H J
HJ
Christoffel
K K
KK
Hayford
J R
JR
McGuire
P
P
D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D002666:Psychology, Child; D015203:Reproducibility of Results