Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Using The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument–Version 2 On A Community Sample Of African American And Latino/A Juvenile Offenders To Identify Mental Health And Substance Abuse Treatment Needs, Kendell Coker, Jamie Wernsman, Uduakobong N. Ikpe, Jeannie S. Brooks, Lynn Bushell, Barbara Kahn

Psychology Faculty Publications

The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Version 2 (MAYSI-2) is a brief screening tool used to identify youth in the juvenile justice system that are at-risk for mental health related difficulties. The MAYSI-2 was administered to 5,205 African American and Latino/a youth throughout Chicago, Illinois who were on probation and residing in the community. This study investigated differences (i.e., legal status, gender, age, race/ethnicity) in reporting of mental health symptoms and substance use on the MAYSI-2. Females scored above the clinical cutoffs more frequently than males and there were few differences found between diverted and adjudicated youth. Age comparisons revealed mixed results. …