Psychometric evaluation of the Swedish Child Sheehan Disability Scale in adolescent psychiatric patients

Background: Assessment of disability is part of the psychiatric diagnostic process, and validated scales are needed for the assessment of functioning. The Swedish translations of the Child Sheehan Disability Scale (CSDS) for adolescents and parents (CSDS-P) have been adapted for use in psychiatric settings.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to explore the psychometric properties of the Swedish CSDS and the CSDS-P among adolescent psychiatric patients.

Method: Patients (n = 107) were assessed with the CSDS, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ adolescent), and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL) diagnostic interview. Their parents participated in the interview and completed the CSDS-P and SDQ parent.

Results: Internal consistency was α =.813 for the CSDS (three items) and α =.842 for the CSDS-P (five items). For both scales, principal component analyses showed one component. The correlations between the total scores of the CSDS and CSDS-P in relation to a general K-SADS-PL symptom summation index were r_s = .332, p < .001 and r_s = .237, p = .014, respectively. Correlations with the total K-SADS function summation index were r_s < .300 for both. The correlation between the CSDS and the total difficulties score on the SDQ was r_s = .433, p < .001.

Conclusions: The Swedish translations of the CSDS and CSDS-P had similar psychometric properties to Whiteside’s CSDS and the Adult Sheehan Disability Scale. Concurrent validity and correlation between the CSDS and CSDS-P were weak.