The Validity of the ADHD Section of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children

• Published in: Behavior modification Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. 349 - 374
• Main Authors: McGrath, Ann M., Handwerk, Michael L., Armstrong, Kevin J., Lucas, Cristopher P., Friman, Patrick C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States SAGE Publications 01-05-2004; Sage Publications; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorders; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Behavior Disorders; Child; Child Behavior; Children & youth; Clinical Diagnosis; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Female; Humans; Hyperactivity; Male; Medical diagnosis; Predictive Validity; Reproducibility of Results; Test Validity; Validity; diagnostic interview schedule for children; attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
• ISSN: 0145-4455; 1552-4167
• DOI: 10.1177/0145445503258987

The purpose of this study was to assess the concurrent criterion validity of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) portion of the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children–IV (NIMHDISC-IV). Fifty-seven adolescent participants were divided into three groups on the basis of whether participants met criteria for ADHD on caretaker and adolescent responses on the DISC: (a) 18 participants for whom both the caretakers and adolescents endorsed ADHD, (b) 17 participants for whom the caretakers but not the youth endorsed ADHD, and (c) a clinical control group with no ADHD diagnosis (n = 22). These three groups were compared across parent, teacher, and adolescent checklists; clinician diagnosis; and three objective measures of behavior (continuous performance task, actigraphy monitoring, and a structured observation). Findings lend partial support to the concurrent criterion validity of the ADHD section of DISC.