Massachusetts youth screening instrument for mental health needs of juvenile justice youths

Objective: This report describes the development of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Second Version (MAYSI-2), a brief screening measure t o identify youths with potential mental, emotional, or behavioral problems at entry points in the juvenile justice system. Method: This 52-item self-r eport measure, with content relevant to common mental health problems in de linquent populations, was administered to 1,279 male and female youths, age d 12 to 17, in Massachusetts juvenile justice facilities. A subsample of yo uths also received the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) and the Youth Self-Report (YSR). The instrument was subsequently administered to 3, 804 male and female youths in California Youth Authority custody. Results: Factor analyses of the 52 items identified seven scales that were conceptua lly associated with various mental, emotional, and behavioral problems of y ouths, which were generally confirmed by separate factor analyses with the California sample. The scales manifested adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Most scales were substantially correlated with con ceptually similar scales in the MACI and YSR, and they identified most yout hs who scored at clinically significant levels on those instruments. Conclu sions: The MAYSI-2 shows promise as a reliable and valid screening tool to assist juvenile justice staff in identifying youths who may need an immedia te response to mental or emotional problems.