Diagnostic performance of the CBCL-Attention Problem Scale as a screening measure in a sample of Brazilian children with ADHD.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the Attention Problem Scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL-APS) for the screening of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in a sample of Brazilian children and adolescents.


METHODS
The CBCL-APS was given to 763 children and adolescents. Child psychiatrists using DSM-IV criteria confirmed the clinical diagnoses. Diagnostic performance was evaluated through Receiver-Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves.


RESULTS
Only moderate areas under the curve (AUC) were found for the general sample (AUC = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.76-0.82), and for the subsample of referred patients (AUC = 0.78; 95% CI = 0.74-0.82). The subsample of patients with ADHD of the combined type presented the largest AUC (AUC = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.82-0.88).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings concur with previous studies of different cultures demonstrating adequate diagnostic performance of the CBCL-APS for the screening of ADHD, especially of the combined type.
Lampert
T L
TL
ADHD outpatient program at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande du Sul, Brazil.
Polanczyk
G
G
Tramontina
S
S
Mardini
V
V
Rohde
L A
LA
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012720:Severity of Illness Index