The Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Revised Version (DISC-R): II. Test-retest reliability

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Psychometric Evaluation
• Mental Health Diagnostics

Background:

• The Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Revised Version (DISC-R) underwent a revision process.
• Evaluating the psychometric properties of diagnostic instruments is crucial for accurate mental health assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the revised DISC-R.
• To determine the impact of the revision on the instrument's diagnostic accuracy.

Main Methods:

• A test-retest design was employed with outpatients aged 11-17 and their parents.
• The DISC-R was administered to participants and their parents.

Main Results:

• Good to excellent reliability was found for most diagnoses in both parent and child interviews.
• The combined parent-child algorithm demonstrated good to excellent reliability for several diagnoses.
• Test-retest reliability for symptom scales was generally high, with minor exceptions.
• Internal consistency of symptom items was satisfactory for most diagnoses.

Conclusions:

• The revised DISC-R demonstrates promise as a research instrument for diagnosing psychopathology in children and adolescents.
• Further revisions may enhance the instrument's utility.
• The findings support the DISC-R's potential for reliable psychiatric diagnosis in this age group.