International Comparisons of the Dysregulation Profile Based on Reports by Parents, Adolescents, and Teachers

Abstract

Our objective was to examine international similarities and differences in the Dysregulation Profile (DP) of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Teacher’s Report Form (TRF), and Youth Self-Report (YSR) via comparisons of data from many societies. Primary samples were those studied by Rescorla et al. (2012): CBCL: N = 69,866, 42 societies; YSR: N = 38,070, 34 societies; TRF: N = 37,244, 27 societies. Omnicultural Q correlations of items composing the DP (from the Anxious/Depressed, Attention Problems, and Aggressive Behavior syndromes) indicated considerable consistency across diverse societies with respect to which of the DP items tended to receive low, medium, or high ratings, whether ratings were provided by parents (M Q = .70), adolescents (M Q = .72), or teachers (M Q = .68). Omnicultural mean item ratings indicated that, for all 3 forms, the most common items on the DP reflect a mix of problems from all 3 constituent scales. Cross-informant analyses for the CBCL-YSR and CBCL-TRF supported these results. Aggregated DP scores, derived by summing ratings on all DP items, varied significantly by society. Age and gender differences were minor for all 3 forms, but boys scored higher than girls on the TRF. Many societies differing in ethnicity, religion, political/economic system, and geographical region manifested very similar DP scores. The most commonly reported DP problems reflected the mixed symptom picture of the DP, with dysregulation in mood, attention, and aggression. Overall, societies were more similar than different on DP scale scores and item ratings.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We acknowledge the contribution of the following members of the International ASEBA Consortium, collaborators who provided the data analyzed for this study and are additional authors of this work:

Fredrik Almqvist, MD, Helsinki University

Maria Bathiche, PhD, McGill University

Ivan Begovac, MD, University Hospital Center Zagreb, University of Zagreb

Niels Bilenberg, MD, PhD, University of Southern Denmark

Hector Bird, MD, Columbia University

Anders Broberg, PhD, Göteborg University

Myriam Chahed, PhD, Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense University

Anca Dobrean, PhD, Babes-Bolyai University

Manfred Döpfner, MD, PhD, Köln University

Nese Erol, PhD, Ankara University

Lourdes Ezpeleta, PhD, Unversity of Barcelona

Eric Fombonne, MD, Oregon Health & Science University

Antonio Fonseca, PhD, University of Coimbra

Maria Forns, PhD, Unversity of Barcelona

Alessandra Frigerio, PhD, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini,

Lecco, Italy

Hans w. E. Grietens, PhD, University of Groningen

Helga Hannesdottir, MD, PhD, Landspítali, University Hospital

Yasuko Kanbayashi, PhD, Chuo University

Michael C. Lambert, PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Patrick Leung, PhD, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Xianchin Liu, MD, PhD, Pfizer

Alfio Maggiolini, MD, Minotauro- Istituto de Analisi dei Codici Affettivi, Milano

Jasminka Markovic, PhD, Clinic for Psychiatry, Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Novi Sad

Asghar Minaei, PhD, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran

Paulo Moreira, PhD, Lusiada University

Mesfin S. Mulatu, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Torunn S. Novik, MD, Buskerud Hospital

Kyung-Ja Oh, PhD, Yonsei University

Djaouida Petot, PhD, Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense University

Cecilia Pisa, PhD, Minotauro- Istituto de Analisi dei Codici Affettivi, Milano

Julia Pluck, PhD, Köln University

Rolando Pomalima, MD, Peruvian National Institute of Mental Health

Marina Monzani da Rocha, PhD, Mackenzie Presbyterian University

Alexandra Roussos, MD, Attiki Child Psychiatric Hospital

Michael Sawyer, MD, PhD, University of Adelaide

Mimoza Shahini, MD, PhD, University Clinical Center of Kosovo

Edwiges Ferreira de Mattos Silvares, PhD, University of Sao Paolo

Zeynep Simsek, PhD, University of Harran

Hans-Christoph Steinhausen, MD, PhD, University of Zurich

Jan van der Ende, MA, Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children’s Hospital

Frank Verhulst, MD, PhD, Erasmus University Medical Center-Sophia Children’s Hospital

Laura Viola, MD, Children’s Hospital Pereira Rossell, Montevideo, Uruguay

Sheila Weintraub, PhD, Helsinki University

John Weisz, PhD, Harvard University

Christa Winkler Metzke, PhD, University of Zurich

Tomasz Wolanczyk, MD, PhD, Medical University of Warsaw

Bernadine S.C. Woo, PhD, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.

Hao-Jan Yang, PhD, Chung Shan Medical University, Taiwan

Eugene Yuqing Zhang, PhD., Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nelly Zilber, PhD, Kfar Shaul Mental Health Center, Jerusalem

Stephen R. Zubrick, PhD, University of Western Australia & Telethon Kids Institute

Rita Zukauskiene, PhD, Mykolas Romeris University

DISCLOSURES STATEMENT

Dr. Rescorla is vice president of the nonprofit Research Center for Children, Youth, and Families, which publishes the ASEBA and from which she has received remuneration. She has received royalties from Guilford Press for a book published in 2007 and honoraria for invited presentations.

Ms. Blumenfeld is a medical student at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University.

Dr. Ivanova is employed by the nonprofit Research Center for Children, Youth, and Families.

Dr. Achenbach is president of the nonprofit Research Center for Children, Youth, and Families, which publishes the ASEBA and from which he has received remuneration. He has received royalties from Guilford Press for a book published in 2007 and honoraria for invited presentations.