Factor study of a psychiatric child rating scale. Based on ratings made by clinicians on child and adolescent clinic attenders

Symptom rating sheets completed by psychiatrists over a 9-year period on 2602 intellectually normal child and adolescent clinic attenders were subjected to factor analysis (principal components). Two types of factor sets were derived, one for younger subjects (3-11 years) and another for older subjects (12-18). Both had three factors in common: conduct disturbance, relationship problems and emotionality, but differed on the fourth-developmental immaturity for the younger group, depression for the older. A factor solution was also derived for the whole clinic sample with three scales: conduct, emotionality and immaturity. Both types of factor solutions were subjected to MANOVA for age and sex effects, both of which proved to be of significant influence. Good correspondence was found between the symptom factors identified and conceptually similar clinical diagnoses.