Self-reports on mental health problems of youth with moderate to borderline intellectual disabilities.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the extent to which the Youth Self-Report (YSR) can be used to assess emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents with intellectual disabilities (IDs).


METHODS
In 2003, 281 11- to 18-year-olds with IDs (IQ > or =48) completed the YSR in an interview, and in 1993, 1,047 non-ID adolescents completed the YSR themselves. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The ID sample was split into lower (IQ 48-69) and higher (IQ > or =70) IQ groups. Cronbach's alpha values of the YSR scales and (intraclass) correlation coefficients between and within YSR and CBCL scale scores were calculated to determine parent-adolescent agreement and YSR construct validity, which were compared between samples. Mean YSR scale scores were compared between adolescents with ID with and without psychiatric symptoms.


RESULTS
Cronbach's alpha, parent-adolescent agreement, and indications of construct validity were about similar in all samples, although discriminant validity was somewhat weaker in the lower IQ group. Mean scale scores were 1.5 to 2.0 times higher for ID adolescents with psychiatric symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
The YSR seems applicable in youth with an IQ > or =48. Further research is needed to refine and confirm these findings and the factor structure of the YSR in adolescents with ID and to differentiate between adolescents with moderate and mild IDs.
Douma
Jolanda C H
JCH
Ms. Douma and Drs. Dekker and Verhulst are with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; and Dr. Koot is with the Department of Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Dekker
Marielle C
MC
Ms. Douma and Drs. Dekker and Verhulst are with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; and Dr. Koot is with the Department of Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Verhulst
Frank C
FC
Ms. Douma and Drs. Dekker and Verhulst are with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; and Dr. Koot is with the Department of Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: f.verhulst@erasmusmc.nl.
Koot
Hans M
HM
Ms. Douma and Drs. Dekker and Verhulst are with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC-Sophia, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; and Dr. Koot is with the Department of Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires