Cluster Analysis of the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5–5 for Preschool Children Diagnosed With a Mental Disorder

Abstract

Research on the relationship between the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorder diagnoses for preschool children is scarce. Cluster analysis can be useful for investigating characteristics of a clinical group by using CBCL subscales and classifying subtypes of a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorder diagnosis group. This study conducted a cluster analysis of the CBCL 1.5–5 for preschool children diagnosed with a mental disorder. Participants were 333 children (255 males and 78 females) aged 1.5 to 5 years who were diagnosed with a mental disorder. The CBCL 1.5–5 and Bayley Scales of Infant Development II were used as assessment instruments. Three clusters were extracted and then compared with CBCL 1.5–5 profiles of each Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorder-5 subject group to determine their clusters. Cluster 1 was named “intellectual disorder cluster.” Cluster 2 was referred to as “other mental disorders cluster,” and Cluster 3 was called “autism spectrum disorder cluster.” When differences in profiles of behavior problems distinguished by CBCL 1.5–5 scales were examined among different clusters, discriminant validity was found to be high. © The Author(s) 2019.