title: Measuring mental health in Indigenous young people: a review of the literature from 1998-2008.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Indigenous young people are disproportionately exposed to risk factors for poor mental health. Methodologically rigorous research will be critical in the development and evaluation of prevention and treatment programs. Research examining the mental health of Indigenous young people may have been undermined by poor measurement. The extent to which research has used measures with adequate psychometrics is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  MEDLINE, PsychINFO and PUBMED databases, were systematically searched to identify papers published between 1998-2008 measuring the mental health of Indigenous young people from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the US. Data extracted included type of mental health instrument, psychometric analyses reported and results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-four relevant studies were identified. Seventy-nine mental health instruments were used, and 18% were bespoke. Only 14% of instruments had been validated for the relevant Indigenous population. Few studies reported assessment of the reliability or validity of instruments. Data about both the reliability and validity of 10 measures were reported. None of the measures met the standards set by the review. Evidence of at least one type of reliability and validity was demonstrated for six measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From 1998-2008 few studies of mental health in Indigenous young people used measurement instruments with previously determined reliability and validity.
authors.affiliation: 1University of New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Redman
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dadds
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Este
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Daniels
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eades
authors.forename: Beverley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Raphael
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia / Q000208:ethnology; D002170:Canada / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D054525:Minority Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009520:New Zealand / Q000208:ethnology; D044382:Population Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology
keywords: Cross-cultural; psychometrics; questionnaires