By the book: ADHD prevalence in medical students varies with analogous methods of addressing DSM items

Objective: The marked increase in the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among university students gives rise to questions about how best to diagnose in this setting. The aim of the present study was to calculate ADHD prevalence in a large non-clinical sample of medical students using a stepwise design and to determine whether ADHD diagnosis varies if interviewees use additional probing procedures to obtain examples of positive DSM items. Methods: A total of 726 students were screened with the Adult Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and invited for an interview with the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS) adapted for adults. Results: The ASRS was positive for 247 students (37%), although only 83 (7.9%) received an ADHD diagnosis. ASRS sensitivity and specificity rates were 0.97 and 0.40, respectively. Probing procedures were used with a subgroup of 226 students, which decreased the number of ADHD diagnoses to 12 (4.5%). Conclusion: Probing for an individual's real-life examples during the K-SADS interview almost halved ADHD prevalence rate based on the ASRS and K-SADS, which rendered the rate consistent with that typically reported for young adults. In reclassified cases, although examples of inattention did not match the corresponding DSM item, they often referred to another DSM inattention item.

Evaluación de la validez de los diagnósticos DSM IV realizados con un Instrumento Estructurado, el NIMH DISC-IV, en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires / Evaluation of the validity of diagnostic interview schedule for children IV (DISC IV) in the city of Buenos Aires

La epidemiología de los trastornos psiquiátricos de niños y adolescentes ha recibido poca atención en nuestro país, Uno de los problemas relacionados con el escaso desarrollo de investigación epidemiológica en Argentina está ligado a la no disponibilidad de entrevistas diagnósticas estructura das testeadas localmente. Objetivos: el objetivo fue realizar un estudio de validación DISC IV (versión en español), administrada por encuestadores legos en la ciudad de Buenos Aires. Métodos: la muestra fue obtenida del Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez" de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Dos grupos de participantes fueron incluidos en el estudio, un grupo con resultado positivo a la administración del DISC y otro grupo equivalente con resultado negativo. Los psiquiatras administraron nuevamente el DISC una semana más tarde y a continuación realizaron una entrevista clínica di agnóstica semiestructurada 116 participantes completaron las evaluaciones y formaron parte de la muestra. Resultados: la sensibilidad fue de 81,5 por ciento y la especificidad de 66,1 por ciento. La reproducibilidad test-retest fue moderada (Kappa 0,46 error standard 0,09). Conclusiones: en líneas generales, el DISC administrado por encuesta dores legos demostró poseer buena capacidad para discriminar entre jóvenes que padecen trastornos psiquiátricos y jóvenes sanos. La confiabilidad fue de moderada a buena, tanto para la presencia de algún trastorno psiquiátrico en forma global como para los trastornos del estado de ánimo en particular, mientras que para los trastornos de ansiedad y los trastornos de conducta resultó muy pobre.

The epidemiology of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents has received little attention in Argentina. One of the problems related to the scarcity of such epidemiological research is linked to the lack of availability of diagnostic interview instruments which have been locally validated. Objectives: The object of the study was to conduct a validation study of the DISC IV (Spanish version), administered by lay interviewers in the City of Buenos Aires. Methods: The sample was obtained from the Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutierrez" in the City of Buenos Aires. Lay interviewers administered the DISC IV to 116 youngsters. Then psychiatrists re-administered the DISC IV a week later and immediately afterwards conducted a semi-structured diagnostic clinical interview. Participant in the sample ranged in age from 9 to 17. Results: The sensitivity was 81.5 percent and the specificity 66, 1 percent. The test-re test reliability was reasonable (Kappa 0.46 standard error 0.09). Conclusions: In general, the DISC administered by the non-professional interviewer was demonstrated to have the ability to discriminate between youngsters who suffer from psychiatric disorders and healthy youngsters. The confidence level was from moderate to good for the presence of a general psychiatric disorder as well as for disorders of specific states of mind, but for anxiety disorders and behaviour disorders the confidence level was poor.