Validating the Ontario Child Health Study Emotional Behavioural Scales-Brief Version (OCHS-EBS-B) in children with chronic physical illness

Child Care Health Dev. 2024 Jul;50(4):e13300. doi: 10.1111/cch.13300.

Abstract

Background: A substantial proportion of children have a physical illness; these children commonly experience physical-mental comorbidity. To assess child mental health, brief scales that can be used in clinical and research settings are needed. This study assessed the validity and reliability of parent-reported Ontario Child Health Study Emotional Behavioural Scale-Brief Version (OCHS-EBS-B) scores.

Methods: Data come from a longitudinal study of children aged 2-16 years with a physical illness recruited from outpatient clinics at a pediatric hospital. Confirmatory factor analysis and McDonald's coefficient assessed the factor structure and internal consistency reliability of the OCHS-EBS-B, respectively. Point biserial correlations assessed agreement between the OCHS-EBS-B and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI-KID), a structured diagnostic interview. The Wilcoxon rank sum test compared OCHS-EBS-B scores between children with versus without physical-mental comorbidity (known-group validity).

Results: The three-factor structure of the OCHS-EBS-B was replicated in this sample of children with physical illness (χ2 = 196.23(272), p < 0.001; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.98; SRMR = 0.06; RMSEA [90% CI] = 0.034 [0.027, 0.044]). It had excellent internal consistency reliability (ω = 0.86-0.92) and was moderately correlated with the MINI-KID (baseline: rpb = 0.43-0.51; 6 months: rpb = 0.55-0.65). OCHS-EBS-B scores were significantly higher among children with versus without physical-mental comorbidity.

Conclusions: Findings confirm psychometric evidence that the OCHS-EBS-B is a valid and reliable measure of mental health in children with chronic physical illness. Its brevity and robust psychometric properties make the OCHS-EBS-B a strong candidate for routine use in integrated pediatric physical and mental health services.

Keywords: agreement; chronic disease; measurement; mental health; reliability; validity.

Publication types

  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chronic Disease / psychology
  • Comorbidity
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / psychology
  • Mental Health
  • Ontario
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / standards
  • Psychometrics*
  • Reproducibility of Results