Criterion validity of the Psychotic-Like Experiences Questionnaire for Children (PLEQ-C)

Abstract

Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are perceptual and thought disturbances that, although common among children, increase risk for future psychopathology, particularly if persistent. Clinical interviews are too time-consuming and costly to administer at a population level, but the criterion validity of a brief questionnaire for screening community samples of children as young as 9 years for PLEs has not been established. This study aimed to test the criterion (concurrent and predictive) validity of the Psychotic-Like Experiences Questionnaire for Children (PLEQ-C). The PLEQ-C (9-item self-and 10-item parent-report versions) was administered to 139 children aged 9-12 years and their caregivers recruited from Greater London, UK. Children additionally completed a diagnostic interview assessing hallucinations and delusions and three further PLEQ-C assessments at approximately 24-month intervals. Concordance of child-and caregiver-reports of PLEs on questionnaire (PLE-Q) was low. Self-reports of any PLE-Q demonstrated good sensitivity (73.3%), specificity (78.5%), positive and negative predictive values (PPV: 72.1%; NPV: 79.5%) for any PLE determined by interview (PLE-I), whereas caregiver-reports of any PLE-Q performed poorly (sensitivity 51.7%, specificity 78.5%, PPV 64.6%, NPV 68.1%). Multinomial regression analyses indicated that children reporting any PLE-Q at screening were at significantly increased risk of reporting PLEs on multiple assessments during adolescence relative to no PLEs, closely replicating the pattern and magnitude of effects (large-to-very large) obtained for children with any PLE-I. The PLEQ-C offers a valid, brief, feasible, and cost-effective means of community screening to identify children who present with PLEs and could be assessed with clinical interview.

Translation and validation of Training Needs Analysis Questionnaire among reproductive, maternal and newborn health workers in Tanzania

“…We assessed concurrent validity, which is one of three types of criterion validity (predictive validity, concurrent validity, and postdictive validity) [ 26 ]. The TNAQ was found to have acceptable concurrent validity.…”

Cortisol Levels in Childhood Associated With Emergence of Attenuated Psychotic Symptoms in Early Adulthood

“…Participants additionally completed the nineitem Psychotic-Like Experiences Questionnaire for Children [PLEQ-C (44,48)] assessing a range of hallucination-and delusion-like experiences. This measure has established construct (48) and criterion validity (49). The nine items are rated on a three-point scale (0 'not true', 1 'somewhat J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f true', or 2 'certainly true') with items summed to derive a total score (maximum 18).…”

Distressing psychotic-like experiences, cognitive functioning and early developmental markers in clinically referred young people aged 8–18 years

“…Item totals (ratings across Conviction, Frequency, Distress and Impact) are summed to create a severity score for each endorsed PLE (range = 0-11) and a PLE distress severity score is calculated by selecting items where distress/impact (> 0) is endorsed (range = 1-99). The UEQ has established criterion validity against clinical interview and predictive validity for the persistence of PLEs into adolescence [33]. Young people in Study 1 were unselected with respect to PLEs.…”