Use of the hand test in the classification of psychiatric inpatient adolescents

This study investigates the extent to which 2 Hand Test variables, the Path ology summary score (PATH) and the Acting Out Score (AOS), were able to dif ferentiate among 3 groups of adolescents. Thirty psychiatric inpatient adol escents diagnosed with various Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) behavioral and emotional disorders were compared to 30 outpatient and 30 nonclinical adole scents matched on age, grade, and sex. An analysis of variance demonstrated the ability of both PATH and AOS to significantly differentiate among the 3 groups. Multiple regression equations utilized PATH and AOS as significan t predictors of inpatient status (p < .0001) and general patient (inpatient and outpatient) status (p < .0001). Utilizing diagnostic efficiency statis tics, overall correct classification was found to be highest for PATH great er than or equal to 3 and AOS greater than or equal to 2. These findings su pport the application of the Hand Test as a useful assessment tool for adol escents suspected of having psychiatric disorders and present evidence for the use of PATH and AOS for classification purposes in ways that are clinic ally meaningful.