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Test-Retest Reliability of the Spanish Version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC-IV)

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Abstract

The test-retest reliability of the Spanish Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC-IV) is presented. This version was developed in Puerto Rico in consultation with an international bilingual committee, sponsored by NIMH. The sample (N = 146) consisted of children recruited from outpatient mental health clinics and a drug residential treatment facility. Two different pairs of nonclinicians administered the DISC twice to the parent and child respondents. Results indicated fair to moderate agreement for parent reports on most diagnoses. Relatively similar agreement levels were observed for last month and last year time frames. Surprisingly, the inclusion of impairment as a criterion for diagnosis did not substantially change the pattern of results for specific disorders. Parents were more reliable when reporting on diagnoses of younger (4–10) than older children. Children 11–17 years old were reliable informants on disruptive and substance abuse/dependence disorders, but unreliable for anxiety and depressive disorders. Hence, parents were more reliable when reporting about anxiety and depressive disorders whereas children were more reliable than their parents when reporting about disruptive and substance disorders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Sciences Research Institute and Department of Graduate Studies in Education, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Milagros Bravo & Alfonso Martínez Taboas

  2. Behavioral Sciences Research Institute, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Julio Ribera, Rafael Ramírez, Lizbeth Fábregas & Ligia Chavez

  3. VA Medical Center, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Julio Ribera

  4. Behavioral Sciences Research Institute and Department of Economics, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Maritza Rubio-Stipec

  5. Behavioral Sciences Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Glorisa Canino

  6. Department of Psychology, New York University, New York

    Patrick Shrout

  7. Behavioral Sciences Research Institute and Graduate School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Margarita Alegría

  8. Behavioral Sciences Research Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    José J. Bauermeister

Authors
  1. Milagros Bravo
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  2. Julio Ribera
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  3. Maritza Rubio-Stipec
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  4. Glorisa Canino
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  5. Patrick Shrout
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  6. Rafael Ramírez
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  7. Lizbeth Fábregas
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  8. Ligia Chavez
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  9. Margarita Alegría
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  10. José J. Bauermeister
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  11. Alfonso Martínez Taboas
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Bravo, M., Ribera, J., Rubio-Stipec, M. et al. Test-Retest Reliability of the Spanish Version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC-IV). J Abnorm Child Psychol 29, 433–444 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010499520090

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