Psychodiagnostic Chart–Child (PDC–C): A valid and clinically sensitive diagnostic tool for patient-tailored interventions planning

oleh: Alexandro Fortunato, Annalisa Tanzilli, Vittorio Lingiardi, Anna Maria Speranza

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: PAGEPress Publications 2022-03-01

Deskripsi

Background: Reliable clinical-diagnostic evaluation is crucial in childhood. The present research sought to examine the validity of the Psychodiagnostic Chart – Child (PDC–C) in assessing children’s mental functioning and personality organization according to the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual- Second Edition (PDM–2)’s framework. Method: A sample of 209 clinicians completed the PDC-C to assess 209 children between the age of 4 and 11 who had been in their care for a time range between 2 and 12 months. Each clinician completed a clinical questionnaire to collect demographic information, as well as the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to evaluate the presence of behavioral problems and the attainment of social competences, and the Childhood Personality Assessment Q-Sort (CPAP–Q) to assess emerging personality patterns. Results: The findings confirmed that the PDC–C is a valid tool able to provide a comprehensive diagnosis considering the child’s full range of functioning. Moreover, this measure showed good levels of sensitivity and appears clinically useful in distinguishing some psychological characteristic in different clinical populations. Conclusions: PDC–C could be a useful measure in promoting an accurate assessment in developmental stage and to tailor individualized therapeutic interventions. One of the PDC–C’s advantages is its ability to capture variations in the child’s functioning even within the same diagnostic category, illuminating strengths and psychological vulnerabilities. Noteworthy, additional research is needed to establish the utility of PDC–C derived ratings in predicting clinically relevant constructs and to monitor both the process and the outcome of interventions.