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Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument Version 2 (MAYSI-2)

Portuguese version

Almiro, P. A., Ferreira, I., Campos, R. L., Flórido, J., Ferreira, R., Pinheiro, E., Videira, V., Perdiz, C., Simões, J., & Simões, M. R. (2017). Instrumento de Avaliação da Saúde Mental de Jovens de Massachusetts - Versão 2 (MAYSI-2) [Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument Version 2]. In M. R. Simões, L. S. Almeida & M. M. Gonçalves (Eds.), Psicologia Forense: Instrumentos de Avaliação [Forensic Psychology: Assessment instruments] (pp. 269-286). Pactor.

Original version

Grisso, T., & Barnum, R. (2014). Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument - Version 2: User’s manual and technical report. Professional Resource Press (revised and updated version, includes Portuguese version).

Grisso, T., & Barnum, R. (2006). Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Version 2: User's Manual and Technical Report. Professional Resource Press.

Theoretical background

Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument - Version 2 (MAYSI-2) is a screening tool on which youths report the presence or absence of symptoms or behaviors related to emotional, behavioral, and psychological disturbances experienced within the past few months.
The MAYSI-2 was developed for administration by youths ages 12 to 17 years when entering a juvenile justice setting. This test can be administered individually or group by computer or paper and pencil and requires about 10-15 minutes to be completed.

Description

Assessment Domain: Personality and psychopathology.

Type of Instrument: Self-report questionnaire.

Number of items: 52 items, dichotomous (Yes/No).

Application: Individual, 10-15 minutes.

Population: Adolescents (12-17).

Dimensions

The MAYSI-2 has 52 items answered through two response alternatives (“Yes” / “No”) and it is composed by seven scales: Alcohol/Drug use (8 items), Angry-Irritable (9 items), Depressed-Anxious (9 items), Somatic Complaints (6 items), Suicide Ideation (5 items), Thought Disturbance (5 items - only male) and Traumatic Experiences (5 items).

There is a categorical classification scoring system according to the cut-off of each MAYSI-2 scale: Caution (the results indicate a level of clinical significance) and Warning (a youth has scored higher than the 90th percentile as compared with the original normative sample).
Each MAYSI-2 scale has different cut-off points: Alcohol/Drug use (Caution, 4-6 points; Warning, 7-8 points), Angry-Irritable (Caution, 5-7 points; Warning, 8-9 points), Depressed-Anxious (Caution, 3-5 points; Warning, 6-9 points), Somatic Complaints (Caution, 3-5 points; Warning, 6 points), Suicide Ideation (Caution, 2 points; Warning, 3-5 points) e Thought Disturbance (Caution, 1 point; Warning 2-5 points). In the Traumatic Experiences scale is scored as the total number of traumatic experiences endorsed by the youth.

Studies

Portuguese MAYSI-2 validation studies are summarized in Almiro et al. (2017) and are developed in six (6) master's dissertations in Forensic Psychology, involving the use of samples of institutionalized adolescents in educational centers and samples of adolescents from the community (Campos, 2014, Ferreira, M., 2012; Ferreira, R., 2015; Flórido, 2015; Germano, 2019; Pinheiro, 2017).

Portuguese MAYSI-2 validation studies included Portuguese versions of the following instruments: Youth Self-Report (YSR), Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale 2 (PHSCS-2); Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PTSD-C), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version (modified version), Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), Aggression and Impulsivity Questionnaire (AIQ); Brief Symptom Inventory - BSI), as well as an assessment measure of response styles (Social Desirability Scale – EDS-20).

Contacts

Mário R. Simões (simoesmr@fpce.uc.pt).

Pedro A. Almiro (pedroarmelimalmiro@gmail.com)

References

  1. Almiro, P. A., Ferreira, I., Campos, R. L., Flórido, J., Ferreira, R., Pinheiro, E., Videira, V., Perdiz, C., Simões, J., & Simões, M. R. (2017). Instrumento de Avaliação da Saúde Mental de Jovens de Massachusetts - Versão 2 (MAYSI-2) [Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument Version 2]. In M. R. Simões, L. S. Almeida & M. M. Gonçalves (Eds.), Psicologia Forense: Instrumentos de Avaliação [Forensic Psychology: Assessment instruments] (pp. 269-286). Pactor.
  2. Campos, T. (2014). Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-2 (MAYSI-2): relationships with the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version (modified version), among youth from the community and detention facilities. Dissertação de Mestrado em Psicologia Clínica e Saúde, sub-especialização em Psicologia Forense. Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade de Coimbra. (Unpublished Forensic Psychology Master dissertation).
  3. Ferreira, M.I.S. (2012). Adaptação e validação da prova Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-2 (MAYSI-2) numa amostra de adolescentes institucionalizados [Adaptation and validation of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-2 (MAYSI-2) test in a sample of institutionalized adolescents]. Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde, sub-especialização em Psicologia Forense. Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade de Coimbra. (Unpublished Forensic Psychology Master dissertation).
  4. Ferreira, R. (2015). Estudos de validação do Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-2 (MAYSI-2): Relações com a Escala de Impulsividade de Barratt (BIS-11) e o Questionário de Agressividade de Buss e Perry (AQ) [Validation Studies of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-2 (MAYSI-2): Relationships with the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11) and the Buss and Perry Aggressiveness Questionnaire (AQ)]. Dissertação de Mestrado em Psicologia Clínica e Saúde, sub-especialização em Psicologia Forense. Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade de Coimbra. (Unpublished Forensic Psychology Master dissertation).
  5. Flórido, J. M. (2015). The relationship between psychopathology and psychopathic traits, among offending and non-offending male youths. Dissertação de Mestrado em Psicologia, especialidade de Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde, subespecialidade de Psicologia Forense. Coimbra: Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade de Coimbra. (Unpublished Forensic Psychology Master dissertation).
  6. Germano, G. (2019). Estudos Psicométricos com o Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument (MAYSI-2): Fiabilidade (Teste-Reteste, Consistência Interna) e Validade Interna e Concorrente (com o Inventário de Sintomas Psicopatológicos - BSI) [Psychometric Studies with the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument (MAYSI-2): Reliability (Test-Retest, Internal Consistency) and Concurrent Validity (with the Brief Symptom Inventory - BSI)]. Dissertação de Mestrado em Psicologia Clínica e Saúde, sub-especialização em Psicologia Forense. Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade de Coimbra. (Unpublished Forensic Psychology Master dissertation).
  7. Pinheiro, E.A.P. (2017). Depressão, ansiedade e ideação suicida em adolescentes institucionalizados: Estudo de validação do Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument - Version 2 (MAYSI-2) [Depression, Anxiety and Suicidal Ideation in Institutionalized Adolescents: Validation Study of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument - Version 2 (MAYSI-2)]. Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Psicologia, área de especialização em Psicologia Clínica e Saúde, subárea de especialização em Psicologia Forense. Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade de Coimbra. (Unpublished Forensic Psychology Master dissertation).