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Validating the Ontario Child Health Scale in a UK population
M Place1, E Martin, A J Hildreth
1University of Northumbria at Newcastle, Child & Family Unit, Sunderland Royal Hospital, United Kingdom.
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
|February 2, 2000
Summary
The Ontario Child Health Scale (OCHS) effectively screens UK children with emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD). While valid, it shows limitations in identifying internalizing disorders and specific behavioral issues.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Educational Psychology
- Psychometric Assessment
Background:
- The Ontario Child Health Scale (OCHS) was an early checklist for assessing psychiatric disorders in children.
- Teacher-completed assessments are crucial for understanding children's behavioral and emotional health in educational settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of the teacher version of the OCHS in a UK population.
- To assess the convergent and discriminant validity of the OCHS against DSM-IV criteria in children with emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD).
Main Methods:
- The study utilized the teacher version of the OCHS.
- Data were collected from children attending special educational provisions for EBD pupils in the UK.
- Validity was assessed against Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) criteria.
Main Results:
- The OCHS demonstrated retained convergent and discriminant validity in the UK EBD population.
- The instrument was less effective in detecting internalizing disorders.
- Distinguishing oppositional defiant disorder from other behavioral disorders proved challenging for the OCHS.
Conclusions:
- The OCHS teacher version is a useful screening tool for UK children with EBD.
- Clinical application may require careful consideration of its limitations regarding internalizing disorders and specific behavioral distinctions.