Reliability and validity of the DSM-IV-TR and proposed DSM-5 criteria for pedophilia: Implications for the ICD-11 and the next DSM

Abstract We tested the inter-rater reliability and criterion-related validity of the DSM-IV-TR pedophilia diagnosis and proposed DSM-5 pedohebephilia diagnosis in a sample of 79 men who had committed child pornography offenses, contact sexual offenses against children, or who were referred because of concerns about whether they had a sexual interest in children. Participants were evaluated by two independent psychiatrists with an interview and questionnaire regarding demographic characteristics, sexual history, and self-reported sexual interests; they also completed phallometric and visual reaction time testing. Kappa was .59 for ever meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for pedophilia and .52 for ever meeting the proposed DSM-5 criteria for pedohebephilia. Ever meeting DSM-IV-TR diagnosis was significantly related to self-reported index of sexual interest in children (highest AUC = .81, 95% CI = .70–.91, p p p . Ever meeting the proposed DSM-5 “diagnosis” was similarly related to self-report (AUC = .84, 95% CI = .74–.94, p p p