Abstract:

The differences in conduct disorder (CD) severity ratings were investigated among clinicians who used the CD severity specifier system of the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and those who did not. Diagnostic accuracy and interdiagnostician reliability were psychometric properties used to determine the effectiveness of using the DSM-IV CD severity specifier system. The results indicated that those clinicians who used the DSM-IV CD severity specifier system averaged significantly greater diagnostic accuracy, while interdiagnostician reliability failed to differ between clinicians who did and did not use the DSM-IV CD severity specifiers. Interpretations and implications of these results were set forth and discussed, along with study limitations and future directions for research in this area.