Informant Discrepancies in Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Informant discrepancies refer to systematic differences in reports of a young person’s emotional and behavioural health when obtained from multiple sources such as parents, adolescents, teachers and clinicians. These divergences emerge from diverse perspectives, contexts of observation and individual biases, yet they carry substantial implications for accurate assessment, diagnosis and intervention planning. Discrepancies are particularly marked in internalising problems (such as anxiety and depression), which are less overt than externalising problems (such as aggression and hyperactivity). Research indicates that relational quality, socio-demographic factors and measurement methods contribute to the magnitude and direction of disagreement. Cross-cultural studies reveal that norms around parenting, family cohesion and communication further shape reporting patterns. Recognising and interpreting informant discrepancies can enhance the sensitivity of screening tools, inform formulation of tailored interventions and guide family-based therapies. In clinical practice, a multi-informant framework that integrates areas of concordance and discordance supports more nuanced understanding of each young person’s unique profile and promotes equitable service provision across diverse populations.

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Informant Discrepancies in Child and Adolescent Mental Health publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in informant discrepancies in child and adolescent mental health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Informant discrepancy: A difference in symptom or behaviour ratings between two or more observers of the same individual.

Internalising problems: Emotional difficulties manifesting inwardly, including anxiety, depression and somatic complaints.

Externalising problems: Observable behavioural issues directed outwardly, such as aggression, hyperactivity and conduct disturbances.

Polynomial regression analysis: A statistical technique that models non-linear relationships and interactions between informants’ scores to capture both congruence and discrepancy.

Response surface analysis: An advanced method to visualise and quantify how combinations of two informants’ ratings relate to outcomes along lines of agreement and disagreement.

References

1. Parent–adolescent discrepancies in positive parenting and adolescent problem behaviors in Chinese families. Heliyon (2024).
2. Discrepancies in perceived family resilience between adolescents with chronic illness and parents: using response surface analysis to examine the relationship with adolescents’ psychological adjustment. BMC Psychiatry (2024).
3. Longitudinal Linkages Between Parent-Child Discrepancies in Reports on Parental Autonomy Support and Informants’ Depressive Symptoms. Journal of Youth and Adolescence (2023).
4. Understanding discrepancies in parent-child reporting of emotional and behavioural problems: Effects of relational and socio-demographic factors. BMC Psychiatry (2010).