The utility of a DSM-III-R-based checklist in screening child psychiatric patients

The Stony Brook Child Psychiatric Checklist, a parent completed rating instrument based on DSM-III-R, was used as part of a psychiatric inpatient admission evaluation. Data were collected on 63 5- to 13-year-old children. Checklist endorsements were compared with the same parent's responses to the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-aged Children-Epidemiologic Version structured interview for the most frequently occurring disorders. Sensitivity scores ranged from 0.69 to 0.93. Results suggest the checklist can be useful in alerting the clinician to diagnostic areas warranting further pursuit.