Evaluation of oppositional defiant symptoms in 6- to 8 year-old children: Agreement between parents and teachers

The main goal of this study is to determine the degree of agreement between the reports provided by parents and teachers about oppositional defiant symptoms in school children between the ages of 6 and 8 years. In addition, it attempts to determine whether children's age and sex affect the level of agreement between informants. Parents and teachers assessed 702 girls and boys at 25 schools in the Region of Osona, Barcelona (Spain) with the Child Symptom Inventory-4 (parents' and teachers' version). The results indicate a very low agreement -practically null-between the valuations of both informants; furthermore, no significant difference due to the variables age and sex of the children was observed in the above-mentioned valuations. The parents tended to appraise most of the symptoms of the Oppositional Defiant Disorder as present and to evaluate their severity as being more intense. © 2010 Psicothema.