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The relationship between the Rutter A Questionnaire and an interview with mother in assessing child psychiatric disturbance among enuretic children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Ian Berg*
Affiliation:
Leeds General Infirmary
Maureen Ellis
Affiliation:
Leeds General Infirmary
Ian Forsythe
Affiliation:
Leeds General Infirmary
Ralph McGuire
Affiliation:
Leeds General Infirmary
*
1 Address for correspondence: Dr Ian Berg, Department of Psychiatry, University of Leeds, 15 Hyde Terrace, Leeds LS2 9LT.

Synopsis

Forty-one children who were being treated in a paediatric clinic for enuresis were studied to see how many of them were psychiatrically disturbed on clinical assessment and to ascertain the usefulness of 2 cut-off points of T (total) scores on the Rutter A Scale in identifying them. A score of 13 or more which had previously been recommended was found to be inadequate in this group of cases. There were indications that a cut-off point of 18 or more was more appropriate. The importance of knowing the base rate of psychiatric disorder in the population on which the questionnaire is being used is emphasized, sinec this affects the selection of an appropriate cut-off point.

Type
Brief Communication
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

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