University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School
Doi
Abstract
This study examined the diagnostic and clinical utility of the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory (CASI-4R) depression and dysthymia subscales (caregiver and teacher report) for detecting youth mood disorders in outpatient mental health clinics (N=700). Semi-structured interviews (KSADS) with youth participants and their caregivers determined psychiatric diagnoses. CASI-4R depressive symptom severity and symptom count scores predicted mood disorder diagnoses. Both caregiver versions of the CASI-4R subscales significantly identified youth mood disorders (AUCs = .78 - .79, ps .05). Caregiver subscale cutoff scores were calculated to assist in ruling in (DLR = 3.39) or ruling out (DLR = 0.36) presence of a mood disorder. The CASI-4R depression subscales caregiver report can help identify youth mood disorders. Using DLRs may help clinicians to identify youth mood disorders and improve diagnostic accuracy via these brief subscales.Master of Art
