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Predicting depressive and anxiety disorders with the YASR internalising scales (empirical and DSM-oriented)

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Abstract

Background

The Achenbach problem behaviour scales (CBCL/YSR) are widely used. The DSM-oriented anxiety and depression scales have been created to improve concordance between Achenbach’s internalising scales and DSM-IV depression and anxiety. To date no study has examined the concurrent utility of the young adult (YASR) internalising scales, either the empirical or newly developed DSM-oriented depressive or anxiety scales.

Methods

A sample of 2,551 young adults, aged 18–23 years, from an Australian cohort study. The association between the empirical and DSM-oriented anxiety and depression scales were individually assessed against DSM-IV depression and anxiety diagnoses derived from structured interview. Odds ratios, ROC analyses and diagnostic efficiency tests (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values) were used to report findings.

Results

YASR empirical internalising scale predicted DSM-IV mood disorders (depression OR = 6.9, 95% CI 5.0–9.5; anxiety OR = 5.1, 95% CI 3.8–6.7) in the previous 12 months. DSM-oriented depressive or anxiety scales did not appear to improve the concordance with DSM-IV diagnosed depression or anxiety. The internalising scales were much more effective at identifying those with comorbid depression and anxiety, with ORs between 10.1 and 21.7 depending on the internalising scale used.

Conclusion

DSM-oriented scales perform no better than the standard internalising in identifying young adults with DSM-IV mood or anxiety disorder.

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Acknowledgments

Core funding for this study was provided by National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC); the NHMRC had no further role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication. NHMRC also funded Rosa Alati (NHMRC Career Development Award in Population Health, ID: 519721) and Kaeleen Dingle (NHMRC Public Health Postgraduate Research Scholarship, ID: 351654). The views expressed in the article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of any funding body. The authors wish to thank the mothers and child participants over the 21 years of the MUSP and the MUSP21 data collection team; especially project manager Rosemary Aird and data manager Greg Shuttlewood.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Level 4, Public Health Building, Herston Road, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia

    Kaeleen Dingle, Gail M. Williams & Rosa Alati

  2. School of Population Health, School of Social Science, University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia

    Jake M. Najman

  3. Kids in Mind Research, Mater Misericordiae Children’s Hospital, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia

    William Bor

  4. Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence (PACE), University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia

    Alexandra Clavarino

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  1. Kaeleen Dingle
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  2. Alexandra Clavarino
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  4. William Bor
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  5. Jake M. Najman
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  6. Rosa Alati
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Correspondence to Kaeleen Dingle.

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Dingle, K., Clavarino, A., Williams, G.M. et al. Predicting depressive and anxiety disorders with the YASR internalising scales (empirical and DSM-oriented). Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 46, 1313–1324 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0303-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0303-2

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