Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children – Child

The NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children is a highly structured interview designed to assess DSM-IV psychiatric disorders and symptoms in children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years. The DISC was designed to be given by lay interviewers for epidemiological research. It has a parent and a child version, both of which ask about the child's psychiatric symptoms

Abstract: The NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children is a highly structured interview designed to assess DSM-IV psychiatric disorders and symptoms in children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years. The DISC was designed to be given by lay interviewers for epidemiological research. It has a parent and a child version, both of which ask about the child's psychiatric symptoms. The interview was administered using a laptop computer (Computerized DISC, or CDISC). The DISC items are organized by diagnosis. The students are asked if they had specific symptoms during the past year, and answer follow-up questions in case of positive endorsement. The DISC generates symptoms counts and diagnoses. The diagnoses covered as part of the Fast Track data collection were: simple and social phobia, separation anxiety, panic disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, enuresis, encopresis, tic disorders, major depression, dysthymia, mania, hypomania and substance abuse /dependence. The responses to most of the DISC questions are coded as No (0), Yes (1), Not Applicable (8), or Don't know (9). They were then recoded so that both Not applicable and Don't know responses were rescored as No's. The scoring procedures to create scales for the Fast Track data were mostly derived from the work of the DISC group at Columbia University (overseen by David Shaffer, M.D. Prudence Fisher, M.S. and John Piacentini, Ph.D). The variables names were changed to match Fast Track format, and some changes were made to the programming so that diagnosis scores would more closely match DSM criteria, or to limit missing data. Three types of summary scores were created from the DISC items, diagnosis, diagnosis + impairment and criterion count scores. Diagnosis variables are scored 1=meet diagnosis criteria, 0=does not meet the diagnosis criteria. Diagnosis + impairment variables are scored 1=subject has disorder and it caused some type of impairment in his/her life. 0=either did not meet the criteria, or met the criteria but had not impairment to his/her life. Finally, a criterion (or symptom) count variable is created that indicates the number of diagnostic criteria a subject met for a given disorder. It is recommended that the analyst uses either the diagnosis variables in a categorical-type analyses or symptom counts for more continuous type analyses. There have been numerous studies using the CDISC that the analyst can refer to for comparison of results and method used.

Who Completed this Measure?: Target Child/Youth (now in adulthood)

Cohort 1 - Administrative History

  • Year 07 | grade 6 | age 12
  • Year 10 | grade 9 | age 15

Cohort 2 - Administrative History

  • Year 07 | grade 6 | age 12
  • Year 10 | grade 9 | age 15

Cohort 3 - Administrative History

  • Year 07 | grade 6 | age 12
  • Year 10 | grade 9 | age 15

Raw Dataset Name: CyI

Scored Dataset Name: CDCySCc

Keywords:
Alcohol Abuse, Anxiety, Conduct Disorder, Disruptive Behavior, Eating Disorder, Mood, Obsessive Compulsive, Oppositional Defiant, Panic, Separation Anxiety, Substance Abuse

Is this Measure Available for Public Use?: No

Obtain Measure:

Fast Track obtained permission to use this measure in our study, but we are NOT ALLOWED TO DISTRIBUTE IT. To obtain a copy for your use, contact the source listed below.

Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice
Columbia University/NYSPI
1051 Riverside Drive, unit 78
New York, NY, 10032
Tel: (212) 543-5298
Fax: (212) 543-1000
Email: jjwebsite@childpsycho.columbia.edu