Limited Prosocial Emotions: A Multi-informant Evaluation in a Clinical Adolescent Population in Mexico

Abstract The limited prosocial emotions (LPEs) specifier, introduced in the DSM-5 and ICD-11, addresses deficits such as lack of empathy and remorse in conduct and oppositional defiant disorders. This study evaluated LPE detection in clinical and outpatient adolescents in Mexico using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS-PL-5), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale for Children and Adolescents (BPRS-CA-29), and Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU). Fifty adolescents and their parents participated, employing multi-informant approaches. Results highlighted that the K-SADS-PL-5 and ICU-parent versions had superior diagnostic reliability. Stronger correlations were noted between clinician and parent reports than self-reports, underscoring the utility of parent-reported data. The findings emphasize the importance of multi-informant assessments in identifying LPEs and propose the K-SADS-PL-5 as a preferred tool. Future research should refine diagnostic instruments to enhance clinical accuracy and applicability in routine adolescent psychiatry settings.