Psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Five to Fifteen (5-15)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7557/29.8602Abstract
Description: The Five to Fifteen Revised (5-15R) is a screening instrument consisting of standardized questionnaires on development, behavior and functional impairment, completed by parents and teachers of children and adolescents aged 5-17. The present review includes studies on the parent questionnaire. The instrument was developed and revised through a Nordic collaboration and is available in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish, as well as English, Russian and Estonian. The original version was released in 2004, and a revised version appeared in 2016. The revision extended the upper age limit from 15 to 17 years and added measures of functional impairment alongside symptom measures. The questionnaire is primarily administered electronically but is also available in paper format. Access requires registration as a professional user. Most approved users are psychologists, physicians or educators with comparable educational levels, working in educational psychology services, rehabilitation services or child and adolescent mental health services.
Literature search: One Norwegian and 22 Swedish/Danish studies were included. Many studies compared 5-15R scores between clinical and control groups, and several reported Nordic normative data. Samples included both clinical and general populations across relevant age groups.
Psychometrics: Expected differences between clinical subgroups and agreement between the 5-15R and similar assessment instruments support the instrument’s validity. Internal consistency is good overall, and test-retest stability is also good. The Norwegian study reports mean values, while studies from other Nordic countries demonstrate good psychometric properties.
Conclusion: Overall, the findings provide support for the use of the 5-15R. Based on the available psychometric evidence, the instrument appears well suited for clinical use. However, the evidence is strongest for the broader domains, and more specific subscales should be interpreted with caution.
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