InterRAI Child and Youth Mental Health-Screener (ChYMH-S): A Psychometric Evaluation and Validation Study

TitleInterRAI Child and Youth Mental Health-Screener (ChYMH-S): A Psychometric Evaluation and Validation Study
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsStewart SL, Babcock SE
JournalChild Psychiatry & Human Development
Volume51
Issue5
Pagination769-780
Date Published2020/10/01
ISBN Number1573-3327 (Electronic)<br/>0009-398X (Linking)
Accession Number32385777
Keywords*Assessment, *ChYMH-S, *InterRAI, *Mental Health, *Screening, Adolescent, Behavioral Symptoms/*diagnosis, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Male, Ontario, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales/*standards, Psychometrics/instrumentation/*standards, Reproducibility of Results
Abstract

Mental health concerns among children are pervasive, with one in five in North America experiencing a mental health issue. Unfortunately, only about a quarter will receive the support they need. interRAI is an organization of expert researchers and clinicians who develop integrated assessment systems to improve evaluation for vulnerable populations. The interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health Screener (ChYMH-S) is a brief screener that provides an initial assessment for early identification, triaging, and prioritization of services. This study assesses the psychometric properties of the ChYMH-S. Data from children aged 4-18 years across Ontario mental health agencies were obtained. The screener demonstrated strong inter-item reliability on all measured scales and good convergent validity with the Behaviour Assessment System for Children, with all hypothesized comparisons demonstrating positive, significant correlations. Overall, results provide initial support for the reliability and convergent validity of the ChYMH-S in detecting mental health concerns in child populations.

DOI10.1007/s10578-020-01003-7
Link

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32385777/

Short TitleChild Psychiatry & Human Development