Abstract
To advance the empirical identification of child/adolescent syndromes, principal components analyses were performed on four sets of parents' ratings of 8,194 6- to 16-year-olds referred to American and Dutch mental health services. The following syndromes replicated well for both sexes at ages 6– 16: Aggressive, Anxious/Depressed, Attention Problems, Delinquent, Somatic Complaints, and Withdrawn. For both age ranges, a syndrome designated as Socially Inept replicated well among boys, and one designated as Mean replicated well among girls. Evidence was also found for a Schizoid syndrome in all sex/age groups and a Sex Problems syndrome among girls at ages 6– 11. Syndrome scores discriminated well between nationwide normative and clinical samples. The replicated syndromes contribute to the empirical basis for a taxonomy of the kinds of disorders commonly seen between the ages of 6 and 16.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Achenbach, T. M. (1982).Developmental psychopathology (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.
Achenbach, T. M. (1985).Assessment and taxonomy of child and adolescent psychopathology. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Achenbach, T. M. (1989).Empirically based taxonomy of child and adolescent psychopathology. Book in preparation.
Achenbach, T. M., & Brown, J. S. (1989).Bibliography of published studies using the Child Behavior Checklist and related materials. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry.
Achenbach, T. M., Conners, C. K., & Quay, H. C. (1983). The ACQ Behavior Checklist. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry.
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1978). The classification of child psychopathology: A review and analysis of empirical efforts.Psychological Bulletin, 85, 1275–1301.
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1979). The Child Behavior Profile: II. Boys aged 12–16 and girls aged 6–11 and 12–16.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 47, 223–233.
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1981). Behavioral problems and competencies reported by parents of normal and disturbed children aged four to sixteen.Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 46(Serial No. 188).
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1983).Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist and Revised Child Behavior Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry.
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1986).Manual for the Teacher's Report Form and Teacher Version of the Child Behavior Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry.
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1987).Manual for the Youth Self-Report and Profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry.
Achenbach, T. M., Howell, C. T., Quay, H. C., & Conners, C. K. (1989). Problems and competencies reported by parents for national normative and clinical samples of 4- to 16-year-olds. Manuscript in preparation.
Achenbach, T. M., & McConaughy, S. H. (1987).Empirically-based assessment of child and adolescent psychopathology: Practical applications. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Achenbach, T. M., McConaughy, S. H., & Howell, C. T. (1987). Child/adolescent behavioral and emotional problems: Implications of cross-informant correlations for situational specificity.Psychological Bulletin, 101, 213–232.
Achenbach, T. M., Verhulst, F. C., Baron, G. D., & Akkerhuis, G. W. (1987). Epidemiological comparisons of American and Dutch children: I. Behavioral/emotional problems and competencies reported by parents for ages 4 to 16.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 26, 317–325.
Achenbach, T. M., Verhulst, F. C., Baron, G. D., & Althaus, M. (1987). A comparison of syndromes derived from the Child Behavior Checklist for American and Dutch boys aged 6–11 and 12–16.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 28, 437–453.
American Psychiatric Association. (1980; 1987).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed.; 3rd rev. ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Cohen, J. (1977).Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (rev. ed.). New York: Academic Press.
Conners, C. K. (1969). A teacher rating scale for use in drug studies with children.American Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 884–888.
Fisher, R. A. (1970).Statistical methods for research workers (14th ed.). Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd.
Hewitt, L. E., & Jenkins, R. L. (1946).Fundamental patterns of maladjustment: The dynamics of their origin. Springfield, IL: State of Illinois.
Hollingshead, A. B. (1957).Two factor index of social position. New Haven, CT: Yale University Department of Sociology.
Hollingshead, A. B. (1975).Four factor index of social status. Unpublished manuscript, Yale University Department of Sociology.
Jenkins, R. L., & Glickman, S. (1946). Common syndromes in child psychiatry: I. Deviant behavior traits. II. The schizoid child.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 16, 244–261.
Mattison, R., Cantwell, D. P., Russell, A. T., & Will, L. (1979). A comparison of DSM-11 and DSM-III in the diagnosis of childhood psychiatric disorders.Archives of General Psychiatry, 36, 1217–1222.
Mezzich, A. C., Mezzich, J. E., & Coffman, G. A. (1985). Reliability of DSM-III vs. DSM-II in child psychopathology.Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 24, 273–280.
Overall, J. E., & Hollister, L. E. (1979). Comparative evaluation of research diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia.Archives of General Psychiatry, 36, 1198–1205.
Quay, H. C. (1986). Classification. In H. C. Quay & J. S. Werry (Eds.),Psychopathological disorders of childhood (3rd ed., pp. 1–42). New York: Wiley.
Rey, J. M., Bashir, J. M., Schwartz, M., Richards, I. N., Plapp, J. M., & Stewart, G. W. (1988). Oppositional disorder: Fact or fiction?Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 157–162.
Strober, M., Green, J., & Carlson, G. (1981). The reliability of psychiatric diagnosis in hospitalized adolescents: Interater agreement using the DSM-III.Archives of General Psychiatry, 38, 141–145.
Van Westerlaak, J. M., Kropman, J. A., & Collaris, J. W. M. (1975).Beroepenklapper. Nijmegen: Instituut Voor Toegepaste Sociologie.
Verhulst, F. C., Achenbach, T. M., Althaus, M., & Akkerhuis, G. W. (1988). A comparison of syndromes derived from the Child Behavior Checklist for American and Dutch girls aged 6–11 and 12–16.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 29, 879–895.
Verhulst, F. C., Akkerhuis, G. W., & Althaus, M. (1985). Mental health in Dutch children: (I) A cross-cultural comparison.Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 72(Suppl. 323).
Verhulst, F. C., Berden, G. F. M. G., & Sanders-Woudstra, J. A. R, (1985). Mental health in Dutch children: (II) The prevalence of psychiatric disorder and relationship between measures.Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 72(Suppl. 324).
Werry, J. S., Methven, R. J., Fitzpatrick, J., & Dixon, H. (1983). The interrater reliability of DSM-III in children.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 11, 341–354.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The authors are grateful to Stephanie H. McConaughy, Michael Rutter, Gavin Stewart, Myrna Weissman, and John Weisz for their helpful critiques of the manuscript. This research was supported by the Esther Katz Rosen Fund of the American Psychological Foundation, NIMH Grant 40305, and the Sophia Foundation for Medical Research.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Achenbach, T.M., Conners, C.K., Quay, H.C. et al. Replication of empirically derived syndromes as a basis for taxonomy of child/adolescent psychopathology. J Abnorm Child Psychol 17, 299–323 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00917401
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00917401