Parent, teacher, and clinical ratings on admission to child psychiatric inpatient treatment: A study of cross-informant correlations using the CBCL, Rutter scales, and the CGAS

Abstract

The present study compared the standardized ratings obtained from parents (Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Rutter's Parental Questionnaire), teachers (Teacher Report Form (TRF) and Rutter's Teacher Questionnaire), and clinicians (Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS)) in a sample of consecutively admitted child psychiatric inpatients. Pearson's correlation coefficient between total scores on Rutter's Parental Questionnaire and the CBCL was 0.9. The correlation between total scores on Rutter's Teacher Questionnaire and the TRF was also 0.9. The correlation between CGAS and parental scales was 0.3. The correlations between parental and teacher total scores and between the CGAS and teacher total scores were nonsignificant. The effects of sex, age, and type of disorder on the degree of agreement are also reported.