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Psychometric Status and Clinical Utility of the MAYSI-2 with Girls and Boys in Juvenile Detention

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Abstract

This study replicates and extends studies of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument, Version 2 (MAYSI-2) in a sample of 479 urban, rural, and suburban 12–16 year old youths (68% boys; 41% African American, 23% Latino) consecutively admitted to juvenile detention centers. Six principal components replicated the MAYSI-2 factor-analytically-derived subscales except for Depression/Anxiety, and suggested modifications of specific items in each sub-scale. Findings supported the internal consistency and validity of the modified MAYSI-2 sub-scales. Few gender differences emerged, except that girls reported higher levels of hopelessness and trauma than boys. Five sub-groups were identified based on component profiles: (1) non-clinical, (2) addiction, somatic problems, and suicidality, (3) anger problems, (4) thought disturbance, and (5) addiction and traumatic stress. The findings support the validity of the MAYSI-2 for juvenile justice mental health screening while highlighting possible refinements in scoring in order to identify delinquent youths with distinctive psychosocial risks and needs.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported in part by a contract from the Connecticut State Court Support Services Division (CSSD) to the University of Connecticut School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, and by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH01889-01A1), Julian D. Ford, Principal Investigator. The authors are grateful to CSSD colleagues (Mr. William Carbone, Mr. Karl Alston, Mr. Leo Arnone, Ms. Cathy Foley-Geib) for their support of this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA

    Julian D. Ford, Geraldine Pearson & Jennifer Meltzer Wolpaw

  2. Court Support Services Division, State of Connecticut Judicial Branch, Hartford, CT, USA

    John F. Chapman

  3. University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Randy Borum

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  1. Julian D. Ford
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  4. Randy Borum
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  5. Jennifer Meltzer Wolpaw
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Correspondence to Julian D. Ford.

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Ford, J.D., Chapman, J.F., Pearson, G. et al. Psychometric Status and Clinical Utility of the MAYSI-2 with Girls and Boys in Juvenile Detention. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 30, 87–99 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-007-9058-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-007-9058-9

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