TY - JOUR
T1 - Latent class analysis of child behavior checklist attention problems
AU - Hudziak, James J.
AU - Wadsworth, Martha E.
AU - Heath, Andrew C.
AU - Achenbach, Thomas M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Accepted March 10, 1999. Dr. Hudziak is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine (Division of Human Genetics), Centerfor Children, Youth, andFamilies, University ofVermont College ofMedicine, Burlington. Ms. Wadsworth is a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychowgy, Department ofPsychowgy, University ofVermont. Dr. Heath is with the Department ofPsychiatry and Genetics, Washington University School ofMedicintt, St. Louis. Dr. Achenbach is Professor ofPsychiatry, Centerfor Children, Youth, and Families, University ofVermont. This work was supported by NIMHgrant 40305. Correspondence to Dr. Hudziak, Univmity of Vermont, Given Building, Room B229, Burlington, VT 05405; e-mail:[email protected].
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Objective: To test whether attention problems in children are continuously distributed or categorically discrete, the authors performed latent class analyses (LCA) of items from the Attention Problems Scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) using data from the clinical and nonclinical samples used in the derivation of the CBCL syndromes. Method: A CBCL was completed by a parent or guardian of each of 2,100 nonreferred children selected to be representative of U.S. nonreferred children and a demographically matched sample of 2,100 clinically referred children. Attention problems symptoms were subjected to LCA. Results: LCAs were consistent with the presence of 3 levels of symptom presentation in both samples. Children in the nonclinical sample were classified as having no symptoms, mild symptoms, or moderate symptoms. Children in the clinical group had mild, moderate, or severe symptoms. Conclusions: These results suggest that child and adolescent psychiatric symptoms such as attention problems can be thought of as continuously distributed phenomena rather than discrete disease entitles, lending support for an empirical approach to both clinical work and research. In addition, high prevalence rates of attention problems in both clinical and nonclinical samples suggest the need for careful screening of attention problems in clinic and academic settings.
AB - Objective: To test whether attention problems in children are continuously distributed or categorically discrete, the authors performed latent class analyses (LCA) of items from the Attention Problems Scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) using data from the clinical and nonclinical samples used in the derivation of the CBCL syndromes. Method: A CBCL was completed by a parent or guardian of each of 2,100 nonreferred children selected to be representative of U.S. nonreferred children and a demographically matched sample of 2,100 clinically referred children. Attention problems symptoms were subjected to LCA. Results: LCAs were consistent with the presence of 3 levels of symptom presentation in both samples. Children in the nonclinical sample were classified as having no symptoms, mild symptoms, or moderate symptoms. Children in the clinical group had mild, moderate, or severe symptoms. Conclusions: These results suggest that child and adolescent psychiatric symptoms such as attention problems can be thought of as continuously distributed phenomena rather than discrete disease entitles, lending support for an empirical approach to both clinical work and research. In addition, high prevalence rates of attention problems in both clinical and nonclinical samples suggest the need for careful screening of attention problems in clinic and academic settings.
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U2 - 10.1097/00004583-199908000-00014
DO - 10.1097/00004583-199908000-00014
M3 - Article
C2 - 10434490
AN - SCOPUS:0032801972
SN - 0890-8567
VL - 38
SP - 985
EP - 991
JO - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
JF - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
IS - 8
ER -