title: Development and validation of a new measure of everyday adolescent functioning: the multidimensional adolescent functioning scale.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Everyday functioning is an important outcome for studies of the developmental psychopathology of adolescence. An unbiased, well-validated, and easy-to-use instrument to specifically assess normal adolescent functioning is not yet available. The current study aimed to introduce and validate the Multidimensional Adolescent Functioning Scale (MAFS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The MAFS was developed by clinical consensus, resulting in a 23-item self-report questionnaire with three distinct subscales: general functioning, family-related functioning, and peer-related functioning. MAFS data were collected in a general population sample (N = 842; mean age = 15.0 years [standard deviation = .4]) at baseline and again at 1- and 3-year follow-up. Psychometric analyses included confirmatory factor analysis, calculations of internal consistency, scale correlations, and correlations with the abridged General Health Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the hypothesized 3-factor structure fits well to the MAFS data. All scales showed adequate internal consistency (greatest lower bound: .75-.91) and sufficient discriminative ability (scale intercorrelations: ρ = .15-.52). Of the scales, general functioning was most strongly correlated with the General Health Questionnaire, whereas family- and peer-related functioning showed weaker correlations with this general measure. The results were stable across repeated measurements and gender groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MAFS is an easy-to-use instrument with good psychometric characteristics, which could be suitable for a broad range of future research applications, especially when a multidimensional and unbiased indication of normal adolescent functioning is required.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Interdisciplinary Centre for Psychopathology and Emotion regulation (ICPE), University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
authors: Klaas J
authors: KJ
authors: Wardenaar
authors: Johanna T W
authors: JT
authors: Wigman
authors: Ashleigh
authors: A
authors: Lin
authors: Eoin
authors: E
authors: Killackey
authors: Dina
authors: D
authors: Collip
authors: Stephen J
authors: SJ
authors: Wood
authors: Jaymee
authors: J
authors: Ryan
authors: Gennady
authors: G
authors: Baksheev
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Cosgrave
authors: Barnaby
authors: B
authors: Nelson
authors: Alison R
authors: AR
authors: Yung
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012917:Social Adjustment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria