Psychometrics of rating scales for externalizing disorders in Japanese outpatients: The ADHD-Rating Scale-5 and the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale.

OBJECTIVES: This study validated the Japanese version of the Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-Rating Scale-5 (ADHD-RS-5) and the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale. We extended the ADHD-RS-5 by adding the oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder subscales to compare the two rating scales psychometrically. METHODS: We examined the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity and criterion validity of the two rating scales in 135 Japanese outpatients aged 6-18 years. RESULTS: The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were good for all the subscales of the two rating scales except for the conduct disorder subscale of the ADHD-RS-5 extended. Good construct validity was revealed by expected correlational patterns between subscales from the two rating scales and the Children Behavior Checklist. The criterion validity was good for all the subscales of the two rating scales rated by parents, while teacher-ratings revealed substantially lower predictive ability for all the subscales. Agreement between parent- and teacher-ratings of the two rating scales was generally moderate and using predictive ratings alone of both ratings showed the best predictive ability among the integration methods examined. CONCLUSION: The two rating scales have sound psychometric properties and will aid in screening and severity assessment of externalizing disorders in Japanese clinical settings.

Validity and reliability of the Japanese versions of the coronavirus anxiety scale for adolescents and obsession with COVID-19 scale for adolescents.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused mental health issues in both adults and adolescents. The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and Obsession with COVID-19 Scale (OCS) questionnaires measure anxiety and persistent and disturbed thoughts (also known as obsessions) related to COVID-19. We developed Japanese versions of the CAS (i.e., CAS-JA) and OCS (i.e., OCS-JA) questionnaires to make them suitable for adolescents and validated the characteristics of these scales. Methods: Two online surveys were administered to high school students aged 15-18 years. A total of 263 students participated in the first survey and almost half of them participated in the second survey. In the first survey, participants responded to the CAS-JA, OCS-JA, generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive subscales of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS), and Kessler 6 Scale (K6). The SCAS and K6 were used to verify discriminant validity and inter-scale correlations. In the second survey, the participants completed the CAS-JA and OCS-JA again to verify test-retest reliability. We performed a confirmatory factor analysis and calculated the model fit indices. Additionally, we examined the internal consistency reliability, convergent validity, and inter-item correlations of the CAS-JA and OCS-JA. Moreover, differences in CAS-JA and OCS-JA responses by gender and region of residence (state of emergency and non-emergency areas) were examined. Results: The results of the single-factor model confirmatory factor analysis of model fit indices were above the threshold. The required criteria for internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, and discriminant and convergent validity were met in both the CAS-JA and OCS-JA. No statistically significant differences attributed to residence and gender were found in both questionnaires. Conclusions: The results indicate that the CAS-JA and OCS-JA questionnaires are useful in measuring COVID-19-related anxiety, and persistent and disturbed thoughts in Japanese adolescents.

Psychometrics of the kiddie schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia present and lifetime version for DSM-5 in Japanese outpatients.

OBJECTIVE: The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL) is a widely used semi-structured diagnostic interview in child and adolescent psychiatry. However, the psychometric properties of its updated version, the K-SADS-PL for DSM-5, have scarcely been examined, especially for criterion validity. This study was designed to examine the inter-rater reliability, criterion validity and construct validity of the K-SADS-PL for DSM-5 in 137 Japanese outpatients. METHODS: Two of 12 experienced clinicians independently performed the K-SADS interview for each patient in a conjoint session, and the resulting consensus diagnosis was compared with a "best-estimate" diagnosis made by two of eight experienced clinicians using all available information for the patient. RESULTS: The inter-rater reliability was excellent, as shown by κ > 0.75 for all disorders, with the exception of current separation anxiety disorder. The criterion validity was fair to good, as shown by κ > 0.40 for all disorders, with the exception of current and lifetime agoraphobia. The construct validity was also good, as shown by theoretically expected associations between the K-SADS-PL diagnoses and subscales of the child behavior checklist. CONCLUSION: The K-SADS-PL for DSM-5, now available in Japanese, generates valid diagnoses in child and adolescent psychiatry.