The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale for Children (BPRS-C): Validity and reliability of an anchored version

Objective: Because the accuracy of problems reported by referred children m ay be compromised by their academic, cognitive, or motivational limitations , clinician rating forms may contribute to the accurate assessment of youth adjustment. One such measure, the 21-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale f or Children (BPRS-C), received psychometric study to estimate its potential contribution to the measurement of symptom dimensions. BPRS-C reliability and concurrent validity were calculated for youths who were receiving psych iatric services within a medical school department. Method: Five hundred fo rty-seven children aged 3 to 18 years were rated by faculty or trainees; a subsample of 90 was concurrently rated by two observers. BPRS-C psychometri c performance was demonstrated through interrater agreement, factor analysi s, and multivariate analyses of variance across seven diagnosis-based group s. Results: Although items and scales demonstrated substantial reliability and concurrent validity, item factor analysis revealed a few apparent error s in item-to-scale assignment. These errors were minimized by the use of th ree new second-order factor-derived scales: Internalization, Developmental Maladjustment, and Externalization. Conclusions: The BPRS-C can be easily i ntegrated into academic clinical practice and is a reliable and valid metho d of child description. Additional study of three new BPRS-C factor scales and the application of the BPRS-C to the quantification of clinician observ ation of child symptomatic status are warranted.