Diagnosing Oppositional Defiant Disorder Using the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV: Parent Version and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV: Parent Version (ADIS-P) is a valid diagnostic tool for the assessment of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) in youth. Although there is considerable evidence that the ADIS-P is effective in diagnosing anxiety disorders in youth, no studies have yet examined its validity in assessing ODD. In contrast, a number of studies support the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Version IV (DISC-IV) as a reliable and valid tool in the assessment of ODD. In the present study, the ADIS-P and DISC-IV ODD modules were administered in a counterbalanced order to the parents of a clinical sample of 106 children between 7 and 14 years of age referred for the treatment of ODD. It was hypothesized that the ODD module of the ADIS-P would be valid as determined by its concurrent and convergent validity with the DISC-IV, the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) Aggression and Conduct Problems scales, and the Disruptive Behavior Disorders rating scale (DBD). Results demonstrated that ADIS-P ODD diagnoses had moderate agreement with DISC-IV ODD diagnoses (kappa=.46, p <.001) and that Pearson correlations of ADIS symptom counts with questionnaire scales were similar in magnitude with correlations of DISC-IV symptom counts with the same questionnaires. Overall, findings suggest that clinicians and researchers can use the ADIS-P as an empirically-supported diagnostic interview for assessing children's oppositional problems.