Search

This study modelled the factor structure and tested for measurement invariance between youth and parent reports on the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) 2.0; estimated agreement between informants; and, examined moderators of youth-parent discrepancies.Data come from the baseline wave of the Multimorbidity in Youth across the Life-course study (The WHODAS 2.0 demonstrated measurement invariance [Youth and their parents interpret the construct of disability, as measured by the 12-item WHODAS 2.0, similarly. Thus, informant differences represent real differences that are not a consequence of error. Low parent-youth agreement reinforces the need for collecting multiple perspectives in the pediatric setting, especially for male youth.Implications for rehabilitationThe WHODAS 2.0 is one of the most widely used measures of disability and functioning.Measurement invariance of the WHODAS 2.0 suggests that youth and parents interpret the construct of disability similarly.Parent-youth agreement was low and youth typically report more disability compared to parent proxies.More consistent agreement with parents was found for female youth compared to male youth.

Executive functions (EF) deficits are hypothesized to be a core contributor to hoarding symptoms. EF have been studied in adult hoarding populations, but studies in youth are lacking. The current study compared multiple EF subdomains between youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and youth with OCD and hoarding symptoms. Forty youth (8–18 years old) with a primary diagnosis of OCD were recruited. Participants were divided by hoarding severity on the Child Saving Inventory (CSI) into either the “hoarding group” (upper 33.3%) or the “low-hoarding group” (lower 66.7%). Groups were compared on EF tasks of cognitive flexibility, decision-making, and inhibitory control. Youth in the hoarding group exhibited significantly higher cognitive flexibility and lowered perseveration than the low-hoarding group. Hoarding and low-hoarding groups did not differ in any other EF subdomain. Hoarding symptoms in youth with OCD were not associated with deficits in EF subdomains; instead, youth who hoard exhibited higher cognitive flexibility compared to youth with low hoarding symptoms.

This study examined whether the 12-item self-administered World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) 2.0 demonstrated measurement invariance between young adolescents aged 10-16 years with a physical illness and older adolescents aged 15-19 years from the general population.Young adolescent data come from the baseline wave of the Multimorbidity in Youth across the Life-course study (Measurement invariance of the WHODAS 2.0 was demonstrated: (Measurement invariance of the WHODAS 2.0 suggests that young adolescents interpret the items and disability construct similarly to older adolescents - a group that previously demonstrated measurement invariance with an adult sample. The 12-item self-administered WHODAS 2.0 may be used to measure disability across the life-course. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe 12-item self-administered WHODAS 2.0 is one of the most widely used measures of disability and functioning.Measurement invariance of the WHODAS 2.0 suggests that young adolescents interpret the items and disability construct similarly to older adolescents and adults in Canada.Researchers and health professionals can be confident that differences in 12-item self-administered WHODAS 2.0 scores are real and meaningful.The 12-item self-administered WHODAS 2.0 may be used to measure disability across the life-course.

Insight in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) refers to patients' recognition that their obsessions and compulsions are symptoms rather than necessary or natural thoughts and behaviors.1 It has been estimated that 20% to 45% of youth with OCD exhibit poor or absent insight.2-4 Identified correlates of poor insight include younger age,2,3,5,6 increased OCD severity,2,4,7 impairment,4,7,8 and family accommodation2,4; lower intellectual and adaptive functioning3; and greater depressive symptoms.2,3 Poorer insight has also been associated with reduced response across treatment groups (ie, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor [SSRI], cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT], combined SSRI plus CBT, or pill placebo).9.