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Published on: September 19, 2019

Longitudinal Stability and Validity of Parent-Reported Mental Health Measures in a Preschool Community Population

Rebecca K McLean1, Lucy A Tully2, Mark R Dadds2

  • 1School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. rebecca.mclean@sydney.edu.au.

Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|August 14, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Parent screening tools for preschool socio-emotional and behavioral (SEB) symptoms show assessment stability. These measures correlate with clinical diagnoses, supporting their use in early intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Behavioral Health

Background:

  • Accurate screening for socio-emotional or behavioral (SEB) symptoms in preschoolers is crucial for timely support.
  • Parent-report measures offer a practical approach to identifying children needing early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the assessment stability of SEB symptoms using parent-report measures in a preschool population.
  • To evaluate the correlation between parent-report screening tools and clinical diagnoses.

Main Methods:

  • Parents (N=178) of children aged 3-5 years completed the PSC-17, Preschool Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PPSC), and Child Behavior Checklist at baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups.
  • Clinical interviews using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, Adolescents and Parents (DISCAP-V) and Children's Global Assessment Scale were conducted at baseline.

Main Results:

  • The PPSC and PSC-17 demonstrated significant measurement stability over time for total scores, externalizing, and attention subscales.
  • Both PSC measures showed moderate-to-strong correlations with clinical diagnoses, except for internalizing disorders.
  • Predictive validity of PSC measures against DISCAP-V diagnoses yielded mixed results.

Conclusions:

  • Parent-report screening measures for preschool SEB symptoms exhibit good assessment stability.
  • These validated tools can serve as a cost-effective initial step in early intervention models for preschoolers.
  • Further research may be needed to refine the assessment of internalizing disorders using these measures.

Keywords:
Child mental healthEarly interventionLongitudinalPreschoolScreening

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