Convergence between statistically derived behavior problem syndromes and child psychiatric diagnoses

The relations between scores on statistically derived behavior problem syndromes and DSM-III diagnoses were examined for 270 clinically referred children aged 6 through 16. Each child's parent completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and was administered the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC)-a structured interview covering DSM-III diagnostic criteria. Numerous behavior problems scales scored from the CBCL were significantly related to one or more diagnoses. The strongest relations were between scores on the Hyperactive, Delinquent, and Depressed scales and diagnoses of Attention Deficit Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and Depression/Dysthymia, respectively. This convergence supports the validity of some syndromal constructs common to both assessment paradigms.This research was supported in part by NIMH grant no. MH37372 and by NIMH contract no. RFP-DB-81-0027. The first author is supported by a Faculty Scholar's Award from the William T. Grant Foundation. The authors wish to thank Tom Achenbach and Russ Barkley for their valuable comments on an earlier draft.