Psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Child Behavior Checklist 6–18 (CBCL 6–18), 2nd. edition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7557/29.8462Keywords:
Generell psykisk helse, Barn i skolealder, UngdomAbstract
Description: The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 6–18 is a parent-report questionnaire developed by Thomas M. Achenbach and Leslie A. Rescorla (2001) as part of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA). The instrument consists of 133 items and is used for children and adolescents aged 6–18 years to assess emotional problems, behavioral difficulties, and social functioning. The Norwegian version was translated and adapted by Torunn S. Nøvik and Sonja Heyerdahl in collaboration with ASEBA in the early 2000s. ASEBA (University of Vermont) holds the copyright to the instrument. CBCL 6–18 includes a competence section and a problem section, providing scores for total problems, internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as eight syndrome scales and six DSM-oriented scales. Completion typically takes 20–30 minutes. The instrument is intended for use by professionals with relevant health or educational backgrounds and knowledge of standardized assessment and psychometric principles. Norwegian forms and electronic solutions are distributed through the ASEBA system.
Literature search: A total of 17 studies reporting on the psychometric properties of CBCL 6–18 were included. The samples comprised both population-based studies (e.g., Tidlig Trygg i Trondheim, N > 2,000) and clinical samples from child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinics (N = 90–190). The studies included cross-sectional and longitudinal designs, as well as one randomized controlled trial.
Psychometrics: Internal consistency for the total scale was high (α ≈ .93), with good values for the broad scales of internalizing and externalizing problems. Given that the CBCL covers a wide and multidimensional specter of problems, it is important that alpha coefficient for the total scale is interpreted with care as a high value partly could reflect a high number of items rather than homogeneity of the content. The syndrome scales showed insufficient/low to high reliability (α = .47–.87), with lower values for thought problems and somatic complaints. Validity has been supported through expected differences between clinical and non-clinical groups, correlations with related measures (e.g., family functioning, teacher- and self-reported data), and sensitivity to change over time in clinical studies. Norwegian reference data (2012; N ≈ 2,582) show stable, low problem scores.
Conclusion: Overall, the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of CBCL 6–18 have been examined in a limited number of studies. The review indicates that the instrument demonstrates consistently good internal consistency for the total scale and the broad internalizing and externalizing scales, as well as satisfactory evidence for construct and clinical validity in both clinical and population-based samples. At the same time, knowledge about the individual syndrome and DSM-oriented scales is limited and unevenly documented, and the absence of formally normed Norwegian reference data represents a key limitation of the overall evidence base.
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