RESEARCH ARTICLE
Psychometric Attributes of the DISC Predictive Scales
Esther Cubo 1, *, Sara Sáez Velasco 2, Vanesa Delgado Benito 1, Vanesa Ausín Villaverde 1, José María Trejo Gabriel Galín1, Asunción Martín Santidrián 1, Jesús Macarrón Vicente 1, José Cordero Guevara 3, Elan D Louis 4, 5, 6, 7, Julián Benito-León 8
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2010Volume: 6
First Page: 86
Last Page: 93
Publisher ID: CPEMH-6-86
DOI: 10.2174/1745017901006010086
Article History:
Received Date: 10/11/2009Revision Received Date: 15/6/2010
Acceptance Date: 17/6/2010
Electronic publication date: 27/8/2010
Collection year: 2010

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
Abstract
Introduction:
This study was designed to evaluate the psychometric attributes and screening efficiency of a Spanish version of the Children Predictive Scales (DPS) against the Spanish Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC-IV).
Method:
This pilot cross-sectional study included 61 children aged 9 to 14 years in a mainstream school. The following psychometric attributes were analyzed: acceptability, scale assumptions, internal consistency, and precision, as well the predictive validity (AUC).
Results:
The scale did not show ceiling or floor effects (6.4%, 1.3%, respectively). The internal consistency was high (α=0.92), and the standard error of measurement was adequate (SEM=1.54). The overall DPS AUC was 0.72 against DISC IV corresponding diagnosis.
Conclusion:
The Spanish version of the DPS-4.32 seems to be a reliable and precise tool for screening mental health disorders in a school-age population.