Search

The current study validated the youth-reported Pediatric Symptom Checklist-Youth (PSC-Y) using a Chinese youth sample (N = 20,996). The factor structure, measurement invariance, and criterion validity were examined. First, factor analysis documented that the correlated three-factor structure, including externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and attention problems fit the data best, which aligns with the prior factor structure of the PSC-Y in other settings (e.g., teacher ratings). In addition, measurement invariance was established across gender and age groups. The latent mean differences revealed that middle and high school students and females reported more internalizing and attention problems than elementary students and males. Additionally, high school students and females were less likely to report externalizing problems than elementary students and males. Finally, the criterion validity of the PSC-Y was established using external scales assessing subjective wellbeing and prosocial behavior. Teachers, school administrators, and school psychologists can utilize the results of this study to more precisely identify youth at risk for psychosocial problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated the natural development pattern of mindful awareness and its relation with mental health in a sample of Chinese youth.Methods: 1,483 students (57.11% boys) from fourth to ninth grade (Mage = 11.18 ± 1.78, Wave 1) participated in the study. Students participated in up to 3 waves of assessment, each spaced approximately 6 months. The data were collected by the Chinese version of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale-Children (MAAS-C), the Chinese Version of 10-item CES-D Depression Scale (CESD-10), and the Academic Pressure subscale of Inventory of Influencing Factors of Trait Anxiety for Secondary School Students (IIFTAS).Results: Cross-sectionally, higher graders scored lower mindful awareness than lower graders. Results of latent growth curve analysis showed a slight decrease, but not at a significant level, of mindful awareness in the longitudinal measurement. Results from the parallel-process model indicated that decreases in mindful awareness significantly predicted children and adolescents' depressive emotions and academic pressure.Limitations: As a longitudinal study, the time points were insufficient and all variables were assessed by self-report measures.Conclusion: Mindful awareness might be a significant protector for youth when co-developing with mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Chinese adolescents face life stresses from multiple sources, with higher levels of stress predictive of adolescent mental health outcomes, including in the area of obsessive–compulsive disorders (OCD). Valid assessment of OCD among this age group is therefore a critical need in China. This study aims to standardise the Chinese version of the Leyton short version scale for adolescents of secondary schools in order to assess this condition. Methods: Stratified randomly selected adolescents were selected from four high schools located in Beijing, China. The Chinese version of the Leyton scale was administered to 3221 secondary school students aged between 12 and 18 years. A high response rate was achieved, with 3185 adolescents responding to the survey (98.5 percent). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) extracted four factors from the scale: compulsive thoughts, concerns of cleanliness, lucky number, repetitiveness and repeated checking. The four-factor structures were confirmed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Results: Overall the four-factor structure had a good model fit and high levels of reliability for each individual dimension and reasonable content validity. Invariance analyses in unconstrained, factor loading, and error variance models demonstrated that the Leyton scale is invariant in relation to the presence or absence OCD, age and gender. Discriminant validity analysis demonstrated that the four-factor structure scale also had excellent ability to differentiate between OCD and non-OCD students, male and female students, and age groups. Limitations: The dataset was a non-clinical sample of high school students, rather than a sample of individuals with OCD. Future research may examine symptom structure in clinical populations to assess whether this structure fits into both clinical and community population. Conclusions: The structure derived from the Leyton short version scale in a non-clinical secondary school sample of adolescents, suggests that a four-factor solution can be utilised as a screening tool to assess adolescents׳ psychopathological symptoms in the area of OCD in mainland Chinese non-clinical secondary school students. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]