DSM-Oriented and Empirically Based Approaches to Constructing Scales From the Same Item Pools

Separately for ages 11/2 to 5 and 6 to 18, used items for rating behavioral and emotional problems to construct (a). "top-down" DSM-oriented scales from experts' ratings of the items' consistency with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed. [DSM-IV], American Psychiatric Association, 1994) categories, and (b). "bottom-up" empirically based syndromes from factor analyses of parent, caregiver, teacher, and self ratings (N = 14853). Both kinds of scales are scored from the same assessment instruments and are displayed on profiles normed on the same national samples. Psychometric properties were similar for both kinds of scales. Associations between counterpart scales were medium to strong. Quantified, normed DSM-oriented and empirically based scales scored from the same instruments can facilitate assessment of individuals, statistical analyses for research purposes, and integration of top-down and bottom-up approaches to deriving constructs for psychopathology.