Assessment of Psychotic Disorders in Inpatient Children and Adolescents: Use of the Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders

Abstract

The Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders (DSMD), with its 3-factor model of measurement (i.e., Internalizing, Externalizing, and Critical Pathology), may be useful in screening for psychotic disorders in children. This study assessed the ability of the DSMD to differentiate between inpatient children and adolescents with psychotic disorders (n = 18) and those with other clinical syndromes (n = 71). Results of ANCOVAs indicated that the psychotic group scored significantly higher on most DSMD scales and composites than the nonpsychotic clinical group. However estimates of effect size were particularly large for the Critical Pathology Composite and the Autism and Acute Problems Scales. Diagnostic efficiency statistics revealed that the DSMD's Critical Pathology Composite was highly accurate in differentiating between the 2 clinical groups. These findings support the utility of the DSMD in identifying children and adolescents with psychotic disorders.