The Problem Behaviour Checklist: short scale to assess challenging behaviours

Abstract

BackgroundChallenging behaviour, especially in intellectual disability, covers a wide range that is in need of further evaluation.AimsTo develop a short but comprehensive instrument for all aspects of challenging behaviour.MethodIn the first part of a two-stage enquiry, a 28-item scale was constructed to examine the components of challenging behaviour. Following a simple factor analysis this was developed further to create a new short scale, the Problem Behaviour Checklist (PBCL). The scale was subsequently used in a randomised controlled trial and tested for interrater reliability. Scores were also compared with a standard scale, the Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS).ResultsSeven identified factors – personal violence, violence against property, self-harm, sexually inappropriate, contrary, demanding and disappearing behaviour – were scored on a 5-point scale. A subsequent factor analysis with the second population showed demanding, violent and contrary behaviour to account for most of the variance. Interrater reliability using weighted kappa showed good agreement (0.91; 95% CI 0.83–0.99). Good agreement was also shown with scores on the MOAS and a score of 1 on the PBCL showed high sensitivity (97%) and specificity (85%) for a threshold MOASscore of 4.ConclusionsThe PBCL appears to be a suitable and practical scale for assessing all aspects of challenging behaviour.Declaration of interestNone.Copyright and usage© 2016 The Royal College of Psychiatrists. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.

Assessment of Challenging Behavior Exhibited by People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review

“…Out of the 141 selected articles, our systematic review identified 23 in which the objective was to develop and validate a specific instrument for evaluating CB [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ]. One study developed and validated two instruments: the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) and the Sutter–Eyberg Student Behaviour Inventory–Revised (SESBI-R).…”

Characteristics associated with frequent health system use by Australian adults with intellectual disability: A cohort study

“…Individualised service should be developed for these frequent users by a team of health professionals and carers who are experienced in intellectual disability care. More training in assessment (such as use of the problem behaviour checklist; Tyrer et al, 2016), and treatment strategies for challenging behaviours should be conducted in carers.…”

Nidotherapy compared with enhanced care programme approach training for adults with aggressive challenging behaviour and intellectual disability (NIDABID): cluster‐randomised controlled trial

“…The research assistants visited the care homes at monthly intervals over a 15‐month period (with some initial ones being before trial allocation) and recorded episodes of challenging behaviour using the following instruments after meeting staff and checking records: The MOAS (Sorgi et al ) with at least one resident having a score of 4 at baseline to enter the study; The Problem Behaviour Check List (PBCL). A new scale developed initially in a previous study (Tyrer et al ), consisting of seven items of behaviour covering all aggressive behaviour, self‐harm, inappropriate sexual behaviour, demanding and oppositional behaviour, and wandering (Tyrer et al ), The Quantification of Aggression Scale (Tyrer et al ) developed in the course of assessing patients in the Dangerous and Serious Personality Disorder Programme, and only intended for the assessment of serious violent episodes, using a score of 9 as the threshold for severe violence. …”