Date of Award
12-1999
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Galen Alessi
Second Advisor
Dr. C. Richard Spates
Third Advisor
Dr. Helen D. Pratt
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Mark Sloane
Abstract
Current assessment taxonomy, including the DSM -IV and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) (World Health Organization, 1990) editions, have provided semistructured criteria sets to aid professionals in making a diagnosis of ADHD or ADD. The diagnostic taxonomy criteria, however, have resulted in a very heterogeneous population of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disordered (ADHD) individuals. Several studies have attempted to assess the behavioral syndromes— Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)/Conduct Disorder (CD)/ Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)—in terms of test or symptom sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive power, and negative predictive power (Landau, Milich, & Widiger, 1991; Milich, Widiger, & Landau, 1987; Waldman & Lilienfeld, 1991). Assessing conditional probabilities for individual criteria, as well as diagnostic categories, while accounting for prevalence rates, provides a statistical mechanism to estimate the accuracy and usefulness of a given test or assessment device (Cebul & Beck, 1985; Galen & Gambino, 1975). This study involved verbal report from parents, endorsing child symptomatology on a measure designed for this study. Parents also completed other common measures used to evaluate attention, hyperactivity, and behavioral disorders, including the Conners Parent Rating Scale-48 (CPRS—48; Conners, 1990), Child Behavior Check List (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991), and the Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale (ADDES; McCamey, 1995). Overall, the findings suggest considerable differences based on measure, interpretation level, and prevalence level used to identify ADHD compared to a physician endorsed ADHD sample or a DSM -IV classified sample. ADDES, CBCL, and CPRS-48 tended to have acceptable sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive power, and negative predictive power. The Child Symptom Rating Scale, the measure developed for this study, rating D SM -IV criteria for childhood behavioral disorders, resulted in much lower consistency in predictive values. Implications and consideration of dimensionality of the diagnostic criteria for childhood behavioral disorders are discussed.
Access Setting
Dissertation-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Larsen, Margo Adams, "Diagnostic Issues with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Conditional Probabilities and a Measure of Symptom Ratings" (1999). Dissertations. 1516.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/1516