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First, the analytic models used to characterize informant discrepancies allow researchers to determine the incremental value of informant discrepancies, relative to the informants' reports used to describe the discrepancies. Observations About Informant Discrepancies Observation #1: I B Informant discrepancies commonly manifest when comparing multiple informants' reports about youth mental health. b i In three key respects, the 60 years of research on informant discrepancies provides us with a great deal of data about this clinical phenomenon. This means that whether researchers detect domain-relevant information in informant discrepancies may be dictated by their practices for selecting (a) multi-informant instruments to assess youth mental health domains, and (b) validity criteria for detecting domain-relevant informant discrepancies. [Extracted from the article]

Validly characterizing youth mental health phenomena requires evidence-based approaches to assessment. An evidence-based assessment cannot rely on a "gold standard" instrument but rather, batteries of instruments. These batteries include multiple modalities of instrumentation (e.g., surveys, interviews, performance-based tasks, physiological readings, structured clinical observations). Among these instruments are those that require soliciting reports from multiple informants: People who provide psychometrically sound data about youth mental health (e.g., parents, teachers, youth themselves). The January 2011 issue of the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (JCCAP) included a Special Section devoted to the most common outcome of multi-informant assessments of youth mental health, namely discrepancies across informants' reports (i.e., informant discrepancies). The 2011 JCCAP Special Section revolved around a critical question: Might informant discrepancies contain data relevant to understanding youth mental health (i.e., domain-relevant information)? This Special Issue is a "sequel" to the 2011 Special Section. Since 2011, an accumulating body of work indicates that informant discrepancies often contain domain-relevant information. Ultimately, we designed this Special Issue to lay the conceptual, methodological, and empirical foundations of guidelines for integrating multi-informant data when informant discrepancies contain domain-relevant information. In this introduction to the Special Issue, we briefly review the last 12 years of research and theory on informant discrepancies. This review highlights limitations inherent to the most commonly used strategies for integrating multi-informant data in youth mental health. We also describe contributions to the Special Issue, including articles about informant discrepancies that traverse multiple content areas (e.g., autism, implementation science, measurement validation, suicide). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective.This study advanced and tested conceptualizations of parents’ depression and anxiety in relation to parental warmth, hostility/rejection/neglect, and behavioral control, before and after controlling for comorbid symptoms.Design.Two-parent families (N = 119) with girls (aged 8 to 12) completed questionnaires on parents’ and girls’ depression and anxiety and parents’ parenting.Results.Both parents’ depression and anxiety were related to more hostility/rejection/neglect; and the relations with depression remained after controlling for anxiety, yet the relations with anxiety became non-significant after controlling for depression. Mothers’ and fathers’ depression remained significantly and uniquely related to more hostility/rejection/neglect after controlling for their anxiety in addition to parental warmth, family socioeconomic status, parents’ treatment status, and girls’ depression and anxiety symptoms. Both mothers’ and fathers’ anxiety were related to higher behavioral control, before and after controlling for the parent’s depression, hostility/rejection/neglect, and treatment status, as well as family socioeconomic status and girls’ depression and anxiety symptoms. Fathers’ depression was related to lower behavioral control only after controlling for fathers’ anxiety, and remained so after also controlling for fathers’ hostility/rejection/neglect and the other control variables. Fathers’ depression and anxiety also interacted in relation to behavioral control.Conclusions.Mothers’ and fathers’ depression and anxiety symptoms are differentially related to parental warmth, hostility/rejection/neglect, and behavioral control, especially when comorbid symptoms are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We extended past research that focused on the relation between family conflict and preadolescents' depressive and anxiety symptoms. In a sample of 160 11- to 12-year-olds, we examined whether private religious practices moderated the relations between family conflict and preadolescents' depressive and anxiety symptoms. Although preadolescents' depressive and anxiety symptoms were not significantly associated with their private religious practices, preadolescents' private religious practices moderated the relations between: (a) both mother- and preadolescent-reported family conflict and preadolescents' anxiety symptoms; and (b) both mother- and preadolescent-reported family conflict and preadolescents' depression symptoms. The relation between family conflict and depression and anxiety symptoms was significantly stronger for preadolescents low, versus high, in their private religious practices. Preadolescents' sex was not differentially related to these findings. Results highlight the role that private religious practices may play in moderating the relation between family conflict and preadolescents' internalizing symptoms. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One hundred preadolescent girls' (ages 9-12) and mothers' perceptions of parent- and peer-related interpersonal correlates of girls' depression and social anxiety, before and after controlling for comorbid symptoms, were examined. Girls' parental acceptance/rejection and support and perceived close friend support were more strongly related to girls' depression than to their social anxiety. Mother-rated girls' social acceptance was more strongly related to girls' social anxiety than depression, and girls' perceived social acceptance was unrelated to girls' depression after controlling for social anxiety. Loneliness and perceived classmate support were each related to both social anxiety and depression after controlling for comorbid symptoms. Results highlight the importance of controlling for comorbid symptoms and reveal some similar, and differential, correlates of depression and social anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined, in 102 mother-daughter dyads, whether (a) girls' social skills and loneliness are related to girls' social anxiety, after adjusting for girls' depressive symptoms, and (b) mothers' social functioning (social anxiety, social skills, and loneliness) is related to girls' social anxiety, after accounting for girls' social functioning (social skills and loneliness) and mothers' and girls' depressive symptoms. After accounting for girls' depression, girls' loneliness (and not social skills) was related to girls' self-reported social anxiety and girls' social skills (and not loneliness) were related to mothers' reports of girls' social anxiety. Mothers' social functioning accounted for significant variance in girls' social anxiety, beyond that accounted for by girls' social functioning and mothers' and girls' depression. Mothers' loneliness and fear of negative evaluation showed significant relations to girls' social anxiety when variance attributable to other variables was partialed out, whereas mothers' social skills and social avoidance and distress did not. Directions for future research on social anxiety are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examined whether parents' symptoms and qualitative and quantitative aspects of parent-child relationships make unique contributions to mothers' and fathers' reports of, and mother-child, father-child, and father-mother discrepancies on, children's behavior. Participants were 100 children, aged 10-12, and their mothers and fathers. Parents' symptoms and parent-child relationships made unique contributions to both parents' ratings of externalizing behavior. Although parent-child relationship variables were related to both parents' ratings of internalizing behavior, only parents' symptoms made unique contributions. On mother-child and father-child discrepancies, differences emerged between mother and father, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Both fathers' and mothers' symptoms contributed to father-mother discrepancies on both behavior types, with parent-child relationships contributing unique variance to discrepancies on internalizing behavior. Results highlight the importance of each informant's symptoms and relationship variables in understanding informant discrepancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examined cognitive content and processes, from models of externalizing and internalizing problems, in incarcerated delinquents (N = 177). Four groups were defined by multiple criteria (with 41 youth not able to be classified): aggressive-internalizing (AI, n = 22); aggressive-noninternalizing (AN, n = 14); nonaggressive-internalizing (NI, n = 27); and nonaggressive-noninternalizing (NN, n = 73). Groups did not differ on self-centered and minimizing types of self-serving processing distortions, although the comorbid group endorsed more self-serving distortions of assuming the worst and blaming others than the NN group. Aggressive, in comparison to nonaggressive, delinquents reported more self-serving distortions in reference to overt behavior content. In contrast, self-debasing cognitive content was related to internalizing problems, as both the AI and NI groups had more negative beliefs about self than both the AN and NN groups, and more negative beliefs about the world and the future than the NN group. The AI group also had more negative beliefs about the world than the AN group. Self-debasing processing distortions were not specifically related to internalizing problems, as no differences emerged between the AN and NI groups; however, the AI group differed from the NN group on 3 of 4 types of these distortions. Both of the internalizing groups had a more negative attributional style than the NN group. Theoretical and treatment implications are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examined the relations between the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C) and the Social Anxiety Scale for Children-Revised (SASC-R) in community (n = 178) and clinic (n = 57) samples. A large proportion of children exceeded the recommended SPAI-C and SASC-R cutoffs for suggesting clinically significant levels of social phobia and social anxiety in the community (37% SPAI-C and 20% SASC-R) and clinic (58% SPAI-C and 42% SASC-R) samples. A large proportion of children scoring in the clinical range on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) exceeded the SASC-R and SPAI-C cutoff scores; however, there was notable variability with respect to sample, age group (≤10 years and ≥11 years), sex, and measure (SPAI-C vs. SASC-R, and CBCL Internalizing vs. Social Competence scale). Using the recommended cutoffs, discriminant function analyses found the classification correspondence between the SPAI-C and SASC-R was significant, with some variability found in the 2 samples, age groups, and sexes (ranging from 82% to 91% classification correspondence). These initial findings highlight a need to consider sample, age, and sex in further examination of the utility and validity of these measures and their recommended cutoffs. Implications for future work examining the linkages between social anxiety and social phobia, as well as for the assessment of children's social anxiety and social fears, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examined whether cognitive features in Beck's (1967) model of depression and his cognitive content-specificity hypothesis (Beck, Brown, Steer, Eidelson, & Riskind, 1987) are broadband specific features that distinguish internalizing problems from externalizing problems. From a community (n = 389; 196 boys, 193 girls; age M = 9.98, SD = 1.52) and clinic (n = 82; 55 boys, 27 girls; age M = 10.42, SD = 2.91) sample, 4 groups were defined on behavioral measures and then examined on cognitive measures: externalizing only (n = 33), internalizing only (n = 41), comorbid externalizing and internalizing (n = 53), and control (neither externalizing nor internalizing; n = 35). Both the internalizing only and comorbid groups reported significantly more cognitive disturbances (negative cognitive triad, cognitive processing distortions, and "depressive" and "anxious" thought content) than both of the externalizing only and control groups in both the community and clinic samples. The results were not related to either overall level of psychopathology (as reported by mothers) or social desirability in children's reporting. These findings suggest that the cognitive features in Beck's model distinguish internalizing from externalizing problems and add to a growing literature that calls for further conceptual refinement of cognitive models for understanding both narrow-band and broadband syndromes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the unique relations of mother- and father-rated social and academic competence, children's perceived competence and cognitive distortions to children's depressive symptoms. Variability in child-reported depressive symptoms; Analysis of the unique relations of parent-rated competence and children's perceived competence.

The authors examined siblings' reports of children's depression, anxiety, and aggression, and their reports of the sibling relationship, and compared them with children's self-reports. In two samples, including 169 sibling pairs (age M = 9.98 years, SD = 1.51), no significant differences emerged in the levels of depression and anxiety found in siblings' reports of children's behavior and children's self-reports, although siblings reported children to have significantly higher levels of aggression than the children self-reported. Age, the difference in ages between siblings, sex, and sibling sex were not related to siblings' reports of children's behavior. The relations between children's and siblings' reports of children's behavior were significant, yet moderate (average r = .22). Both siblings' self-reports of internalizing behavior and their perceptions of aspects of the sibling relationship (affection, rivalry, hostility, and satisfaction with the sibling relationship) explained significant, and unique, variance in siblings' reports of children's internalizing behavior. The findings for aggressive behavior were similar, although siblings' perceptions of affection in the sibling relationship were not significantly related to their reports of children's aggression. The potential uses and benefits of sibling reports of children's behavior, and sibling and family relationships, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood depression; anxiety, and aggression assessment instruments were examined in a sample of 8- to 11-year-old elementary school children. A multitrate-multimethod design was used to evaluate seIf-, parent-, teacher-, and peer-report on each of the three traits. Results found the measures exhibited significant convergent and discriminant validity for both boys and girls. However, different patterns in convergence among the information sources emerged between boys and girls. Both the intercorrelations and the analyses of variance documented significant method variance. The implications of the high method variance or source bias in the assessment process are discussed. It is argued that investigators employ confirmatory factor analyses in evaluation of multitrait-multimethod data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores inpatient-facility and community-based teachers' ratings of depression, anxiety and aggression by examining the convergence and divergence between them and the correspondence of each with child self-report. Convergent and discriminant validity; Correspondence on ratings of depression and aggression; Correspondence on depression symptom items.

Presents a statistical analysis of depression, anxiety and aggression as reflected in elementary school children. Use of self-assessment, peer assessment and teacher assessment to rate criteria of feelings; Correlations and divergences between the different assessors; Implications and limitations of the study.

Studies the utility of teachers' ratings in the assessment of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in both inpatient and elementary school children. Assessment of depression, anxiety, and aggression through self- and teacher reports; Differentiation in levels of reporting; Levels of convergence of teachers and students.

Parent ratings of depression, anxiety, and aggression in elementary school and impatient 8- to 12-year-olds were evaluated by examining their correspondence and discrepancies with parallel child and teacher ratings. Parent-child and parent-teacher correspondence was significantly better for elementary school than inpatient children on depression and anxiety. Parents and teachers reported similar levels of symptoms on all traits for elementary school children, yet parents reported significantly more symptoms than teachers in the inpatient sample. The level or severity of anxiety symptoms that parents reported in inpatient children was similar to that reported by children, yet inpatient children reported significantly less depression and aggression than parents. Elementary school children reported significantly more symptoms on all traits than parents. Age, sex, and sample differences in discrepancies were examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the validity and reliability indices of peer ratings of internalizing and externalizing behaviors for elementary school and inpatient 8- to 12-year old children. Interrater reliabilities for peer ratings; Significance of anxiety and peer-teacher correspondence; Approaches to peer evaluation.