title: DSM-IV field trials for the disruptive behavior disorders: symptom utility estimates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We tested the predictive utility of symptoms for proposed DSM-IV definitions of the disruptive behavior disorders using indices corrected for symptom and diagnosis base rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  The field trials sample consisted of 440 clinic-referred youths who were consecutive referrals to a heterogeneous group of mental health clinics. Multiple informants were interviewed to determine the presence of symptoms and diagnoses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some symptoms which were either not in DSM-III or DSM-III-R, or were modifications of DSM-III-R symptoms, had greater diagnostic efficiency than did several existing symptoms. Symptom utility estimates were generally similar for different ages and genders, although some interesting age and sex trends emerged for a few symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results supported the inclusion of more restricted definitions of "lying" and "truancy" to increase their association with a conduct disorder diagnosis and they supported the elimination of "swearing" in the oppositional defiant disorder criteria. In addition to their relevance for developing optimal criteria for DSM-IV, these results can aid DSM-IV users by providing a useful guide to the relative efficiency of individual symptoms based on data from a large heterogeneous clinic population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Frick
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Lahey
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Applegate
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kerdyck
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ollendick
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Hynd
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garfinkel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Greenhill
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Biederman
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Barkley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results