Screening for affective dysregulation in school-aged children: relationship with comprehensive measures of affective dysregulation and related mental disorders

for the ADOPT Consortium

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Affective dysregulation (AD) is characterized by irritability, severe temper outbursts, anger, and unpredictable mood swings, and is typically classified as a transdiagnostic entity. A reliable and valid measure is needed to adequately identify children at risk of AD. This study sought to validate a parent-rated screening questionnaire, which is part of the comprehensive Diagnostic Tool for Affective Dysregulation in Children (DADYS-Screen), by analyzing relationships with comprehensive measures of AD and related mental disorders in a community sample of children with and without AD. The sample comprised 1114 children aged 8–12 years and their parents. We used clinical, parent, and child ratings for our analyses. Across all raters, the DADYS-Screen showed large correlations with comprehensive measures of AD. As expected, correlations were stronger for measures of externalizing symptoms than for measures of internalizing symptoms. Moreover, we found negative associations with emotion regulation strategies and health-related quality of life. In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, the DADYS-Screen adequately identified children with AD and provided an optimal cut-off. We conclude that the DADYS-Screen appears to be a reliable and valid measure to identify school-aged children at risk of AD.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)381-390
Number of pages10
JournalEuropean Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Volume33
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2024

Keywords

  • Affective dysregulation
  • Children and adolescents
  • Parent report
  • Screening
  • Validation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Screening for affective dysregulation in school-aged children: relationship with comprehensive measures of affective dysregulation and related mental disorders'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this