How do parents and teachers predict oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder in primary school children?

This study examined the diagnostic accuracy of parent and teacher reports for oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) in 417 primary school children. Using the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale (DBDRS) and a semistructured diagnostic interview, both informant groups were also asked about children's overall functioning. A best estimate procedure-combining all reports, interviews, and impairment ratings-served as the gold standard. Both parents and teachers predicted ODD and CD similarly and accurately. For girls, parents significantly predicted better ODD symptoms, while teachers were more accurate for CD symptoms. Parents with lower education levels showed poorer diagnostic accuracy for CD than both teachers and parents with higher education levels. This study highlights the importance of multi-informant assessments in diagnosing DBDs and is the first to use a comprehensive, structured method in a community-based sample to compare the redictive value of parent and teacher reports when evaluating children's DBDs.