Cross-informant agreement of the Dysregulation Profile of the Child Behavior Checklist

Abstract

The Dysregulation Profile (DP) of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) (previously called the CBCL-Juvenile Bipolar Disorder or CBCL-JBD profile) characterized by elevated scores on CBCL attention problems, aggressive behavior, and anxious/depressed scales is associated with severe psychopathology and suicidal behavior. The stability of this profile across informants has not been established. In this study, agreement across parent, teacher, and self-reports was examined for the Dysregulation Profile phenotype derived using latent class analysis of a national probability sample of 2031 children aged 6-18. The Dysregulation Profile latent class was found for each informant and accounted for 6-7% of the sample. There was mild to fair agreement on the Dysregulation Profile latent class between parents and youth (Kappa=0.22-0.25), parents and teachers (Kappa=0.14-0.24) and youth and teachers (Kappa=0.19-0.28). When parents and youth reports both placed children into the Dysregulation Profile latent class, 42% of boys and 67% of girls reported suicidal thoughts or behavior. We conclude that the Dysregulation Profile latent class is identified across informants although agreement of specific individuals is mild. Children in this class as identified by parental and youth reports have a very high risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors.