title: Ability of the Child Behavior Checklist-Dysregulation Profile and the Youth Self Report-Dysregulation Profile to identify serious psychopathology and association with correlated problems in high-risk children and adolescents.
abstract: The current analyses examined whether the dysregulation profile (DP) 1) could be used to identify children and adolescents at high risk for complex and serious psychopathology and 2) was correlated to other emotional and behavioral problems (such as delinquent behavior or suicide ideation). DP was assessed using both the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Youth Self Report (YSR) in a residential care sample.
  
  
  
  Children and adolescents (N=374) aged 10-18 years living in residential care in Switzerland completed the YSR, and their professional caregivers completed the CBCL. Participants meeting criteria for DP (T-score ≥67 on the anxious/‌depressed, attention problems, and aggressive behavior scales of the YSR/CBCL) were compared against those who did not for the presence of complex psychopathology (defined as the presence of both emotional and behavioral disorders), and also for the prevalence of several psychiatric diagnoses, suicidal ideation, traumatic experiences, delinquent behaviors, and problems related to quality of life.
  
  
  
  The diagnostic criteria for CBCL-DP and YSR-DP were met by just 44 (11.8%) and 25 (6.7%) of participants. Only eight participants (2.1%) met the criteria on both instruments. Further analyses were conducted separately for the CBCL-DP and YSR-DP groups. DP was associated with complex psychopathology in only 34.4% of cases according to CBCL and in 60% of cases according to YSR. YSR-DP was somewhat more likely to be associated with psychiatric disorders and associated problems than was the CBCL-DP.
  
  
  
  Because of the relatively small overlap between the CBCL-DP and YSR-DP, analyses were conducted largely with different samples, likely contributing to the different results.
  
  
  
  Despite a high rate of psychopathology in the population studied, both the YSR-DP and the CBCL-DP were able to detect only a small proportion of those with complex psychiatric disorders. This result questions the validity of YSR-DP and the CBCL-DP in detecting subjects with complex and serious psychopathology. It is possible that different screening instruments may be more effective.
authors: University Hospital of Ulm, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, Germany. Electronic address: Claudia.Doelitzsch@uniklinik-ulm.de.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Dölitzsch
authors: Medical School Brandenburg, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Germany.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Kölch
authors: University Hospital of Ulm, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, Germany.
authors: Jörg M
authors: JM
authors: Fegert
authors: University Hospital of Basel, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Switzerland.
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Schmeck
authors: University Hospital of Basel, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Switzerland.
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Schmid
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000066553:Problem Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011599:Psychopathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report; D059020:Suicidal Ideation
keywords: Child Behavior Checklist; Comorbidity; Dysregulation Profile; Screening instrument; Serious psychopathology; Youth Self Report