Adaptation Of The Kiddie Schedule For Affective Disorders And Schizophrenia (K-SADS-PL-5) For Diagnosing Oppositional Defiant Disorder In The Algerian Educational Setting (6-18 Years)

Abstract

The current study aims to describe the psychometric properties of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS-PL-5) for children of school age. This version, extended to life span, was specifically adapted to assess Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) after being translated into Arabic and culturally tailored for the Algerian context. Information was collected from a sample of 221 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years, along with parent-reported data. Data analysis was performed using statistical software, relying on frequencies and percentages for categorical variables, and means and standard deviations for continuous variables. To assess reliability and validity, unweighted Kappa coefficients, criterion validity, and construct validity were computed using ROC analysis and non-parametric AUC estimation. The study's findings reveal high reliability and validity for the tool used to diagnose Oppositional Defiant Disorder, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.893 and a composite reliability coefficient of 0.73, indicating strong reliability. Furthermore, the validity results from expert raters (0.81) and confirmatory factor analysis supported the tool's applicability in diagnostic settings. These findings highlight the diagnostic strength and strong psychometric properties of the tool, confirming its high reliability and validity in diagnosing mental disorders in children, particularly in school settings, thus supporting its clinical use.