Psychometric properties of a teacher semi-structured interview for childhood externalizing disorders
By: by Mary Hum.
Published: 2004
Language: eng
Number of pages: 127
Subjects: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder -- Diagnosis.; Oppositional defiant disorder in children -- Diagnosis.; Conduct disorders in children -- Diagnosis.; Interviews.; Teachers of problem children.; Psychometrics.
Description: Current practice guidelines for the assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) recommend direct evidence from teachers and parents. Although interviews are considered the gold standard in clinical practice, few teacher interviews exist and existing ones are rarely used. The objective was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a novel semi-structured clinical interview for teachers. The Teacher Telephone Interview for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Related Disorders: DSM-IV Version (TTI-IV) was designed to quantify symptoms of ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD) in the school setting. It also screens academic performance, aggression, anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric symptoms pertinent to the differential diagnosis of ADHD. The TTI-IV applies a unique approach involving (1) a context-driven framework; (2) operational definitions and probes; (3) avoidance of direct DSM terminology; and (4) use of clinician-based rather than teacher-based ratings of behaviour.An exploratory factor analysis study with 321 participants, aged 6- to 13-years-old (239 males, 82 females), was conducted to identify the TTI-IV's underlying structure. Principal axis factoring with oblique rotation revealed six factors accounting for 56% of the variance: Sustained Attention, Executive Control, Hyperactivity/Impulsivity, Peer Related Oppositional Problems, Adult Related Oppositional Problems, and Conduct Disorder. Preliminary analyses indicated these factors were separable dimensions. The same sample was used in a second study investigating the TTI-IV's reliability and validity. Partial correlational and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between the TTI-IV and established teaching rating scales and cognitive, academic, language, and affective measures. Results indicated good convergent and discriminant validity. Reliability analyses for a subset of the sample (30 males, 12 females) revealed excellent inter-scorer and test-retest reliability. Inter-scorer reliability intraclass correlations of the continuous scoring scale were .98 and .97 for ADHD and ODD respectively. Kappas were .85 and .84 respectively for ADHD and ODD diagnostic agreement. Test-retest reliability of 8 children (4 males, 4 females) for continuous and dichotomous scoring, respectively, was .88 and .60 for ADHD and .95 and 1.00 for ODD. Results indicate that the TTI-IV is a reliable and valid approach for evaluating and quantifying psychopathological symptoms in the school setting, when used by trained clinicians.
Notes: Adviser:  Rosemary Tannock.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toronto, 2004.

Includes bibliographical references.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 65-10, Section: B, page: 5404.