Previous research has indicated that the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument – Second Version (MAYSI-2) has clinical utility in screening and identifying justice-involved youth with mental health problems. In an effort to expand research on the validity of the MAYSI-2, the current study investigated patterns of endorsement on MAYSI-2 items to identify “critical items” that may serve as important indicators of serious mental health problems. Results identified a subset of MAYSI-2 items for male (13 items) and female youth (14 items) that hold promise in identifying youth with serious mental health problems. Gender-specific critical items scales were formed with optimized categorical cut-scores identified which were comparable to the standard MAYSI-2 scale scoring procedures. The critical items scales produced excellent internal consistency and promising predictive validity. Potential clinical applications and steps for further validation of this adjunctive scoring approach are offered.
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