Discriminative validity of a parent version of the Young Mania Rating Scale.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the usefulness of a parent report version of the Young Mania Rating Scale (P-YMRS) in distinguishing bipolar disorder from other mental health conditions in children and adolescents.


METHODS
Parents of 117 youths aged 5 to 17 years presenting to an outpatient research center completed an adapted Young Mania Rating Scale (P-YMRS). Eligible subjects underwent a diagnostic evaluation including a semistructured instrument (Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children) and also a clinical evaluation by a child and adolescent psychiatrist in more than 75% of the subjects.


RESULTS
Factor analyses of the P-YMRS suggested one dimension, with a total score showing acceptable internal consistency (alpha =.75). Logistic regressions discriminated bipolar mood disorder versus unipolar disorder, versus disruptive behavior disorder, and versus any other diagnosis. Classification rates exceeded 78%, and receiver operating characteristics analyses showed good diagnostic efficiency, with areas under the curve greater than 0.82.


CONCLUSIONS
The P-YMRS may be used to derive clinically meaningful information about mood disorders in youths.
Gracious
Barbara L
BL
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA. Barbara_Gracious@URMC.Rochester.edu
Youngstrom
Eric A
EA
Findling
Robert L
RL
Calabrese
Joseph R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires