Utility of the child behavior checklist in discriminating among disruptive behavior disorders in children.

Abstract

Scores on the eight syndrome scales of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) are analyzed to determine if they can be used to discriminate between children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) , and Conduct Disorder (CD) . Three discriminant analyses are used to determine if prediction of diagnostic classification is possible using the eight syndrome scales of the CBCL. General findings suggest members of certain diagnostic groups do produce significantly differing scores on some scales. These differences do allow for moderately reliable predictions to be made. These findings suggest that while the CBCL does provide helpful information in the diagnostic process, it should not be used exclusively in the assessment process.