title: Reliability and Validity of an Interviewer-Administered Adaptation of the Youth Self-Report for Mental Health Screening of Vulnerable Young People in Ethiopia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate the reliability and validity of the Youth Self-Report (YSR) as a screening tool for mental health problems among young people vulnerable to HIV in Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional assessment of young people currently receiving social services.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young people age 15-18 participated in a study where a translated and adapted version of the YSR was administered by trained nurses, followed by an assessment by Ethiopian psychiatrists. Internal reliability of YSR syndrome scales were assessed using Chronbach's alpha. Test-retest reliability was assessed through repeating the YSR one month later. To assess validity, analysis of the sensitivity and specificity of the YSR compared to the psychiatrist assessment was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across the eight syndrome scales, the YSR best measured the diagnosis of anxiety/depression and social problems among young women, and attention problems among young men. Among individual YSR syndrome scales, internal reliability ranged from unacceptable (Chronback's alpha = 0.11, rule-breaking behavior among young women) to good (α≥0.71, anxiety/depression among young women). Anxiety/depression scores of ≥8.5 among young women also had good sensitivity (0.833) and specificity (0.754) to predict a true diagnosis. The YSR syndrome scales for social problems among young women and attention problems among young men also had fair consistency and validity measurements. Most YSR scores had significant positive correlations between baseline and post-one month administration. Measures of reliability and validity for most other YSR syndrome scales were fair to poor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The adapted, personally administered, Amharic version of the YSR has sufficient reliability and validity in identifying young vulnerable women with anxiety/depression and/or social problems, and young men with attention problems; which were the most common mental health disorders observed by psychiatrists among the migrant populations in this study. Further assessment of the applicability of the YSR among vulnerable young people for less common disorders in Ethiopia is needed.
authors: Population Council, Washington, DC, United States of America.
authors: Scott
authors: S
authors: Geibel
authors: School of Psychology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors: Kassahun
authors: K
authors: Habtamu
authors: Population Council, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors: Gebeyehu
authors: G
authors: Mekonnen
authors: Population Council, Washington, DC, United States of America.
authors: Nrupa
authors: N
authors: Jani
authors: Retrak, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors: Lynnette
authors: L
authors: Kay
authors: Retrak, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors: Julyata
authors: J
authors: Shibru
authors: Department of Psychology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
authors: Lake
authors: L
authors: Bedilu
authors: Population Council, Washington, DC, United States of America.
authors: Samuel
authors: S
authors: Kalibala
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015588:Observer Variation; D015995:Prevalence; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012306:Risk; D057566:Self Report; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012947:Social Work; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology*