Caregiver–Child Discordance on the DSM-5 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure Among Youth in Outpatient Psychiatry

Psychiatric illness during childhood and adolescence is a growing concern, placing increased pressure on psychiatric services. Reliance on an evidence-based assessment tool may facilitate the identification and management of symptoms and may facilitate accountability. The purposes for this study were to characterize the psychiatric symptoms of a sample of pediatric patients accessing outpatient psychiatry using the DSM Level 1 Cross-Cutting Measure (CCSM), compare patient and caregiver ratings (CCSM), and explore patients’ acceptability of using the CCSM. The sample consisted of 51 patients (mean age 14 years) and 46 caregivers (mean age 43 years). Patient and caregiver ratings suggested problems with sleep, inattention, depression, irritability/anger, and anxiety. The most common discordance concerned suicide ideation. Most patients (34 of 38) reported that the assessment tool was easy to complete. The CCSM may be a useful, evidence-based, standardized, transdiagnostic assessment tool aligned with the DSM-5 that can be used in a variety of mental health settings to identify symptoms, inform treatment planning, and track progress.