Studies for VALIDITY of DSM

How to check for validity in diagnosis:

• Diagnosis fits- not just symptoms but other factors, eg. Gender and Age

• If symptoms usually go together

• If symptoms DON'T ALL occur in another condition

• Tends to run in the famlily

• Longitudinal study, studied 5 year olds, looking at CONDUCT DISORDER
• Mothers = interviewed, teachers completed postal questionnaire about signs of symptoms over past 6 months
• If showed 3 or more symptoms = diagnosed
• If showed 5 or more symptoms = diagnosed with SEVERE conduct disorder
• 6.6% were given a diagnosis

Children with disorder:

• showed anti-social behaviour, exposed to high risk factors, likely to have behavioural and educational problems

• Looked at different diagnoses of alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence and cocaine dependence
• ppts= prison inmates

• Used both computer prompted interview and DSM criteria

• Found matched diagnosis from computer and DSM

VALID (Criterion validity)

• Aimed to see if DSM critera = useful in diagnosing ADHD to Korean children

• look at gender differences in symptoms

• 18 ADHD criteria in DSM-IV, e.g; hyperactivity

• Questionnaire given to teachers- compared with DSM 

Found DSM is not good for diagnosing girls with ADHD