Effects of individual differences, society, and culture on youth-rated problems and strengths in 38 societies.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians increasingly serve youths from societal/cultural backgrounds different from their own. This raises questions about how to interpret what such youths report. Rescorla et al. (2019, European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 28, 1107) found that much more variance in 72,493 parents' ratings of their offspring's mental health problems was accounted for by individual differences than by societal or cultural differences. Although parents' reports are essential for clinical assessment of their offspring, they reflect parents' perceptions of the offspring. Consequently, clinical assessment also requires self-reports from the offspring themselves. To test effects of individual differences, society, and culture on youths' self-ratings of their problems and strengths, we analyzed Youth Self-Report (YSR) scores for 39,849 11-17 year olds in 38 societies. METHODS: Indigenous researchers obtained YSR self-ratings from population samples of youths in 38 societies representing 10 culture cluster identified in the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavioral Effectiveness study. Hierarchical linear modeling of scores on 17 problem scales and one strengths scale estimated the percent of variance accounted for by individual differences (including measurement error), society, and culture cluster. ANOVAs tested age and gender effects. RESULTS: Averaged across the 17 problem scales, individual differences accounted for 92.5% of variance, societal differences 6.0%, and cultural differences 1.5%. For strengths, individual differences accounted for 83.4% of variance, societal differences 10.1%, and cultural differences 6.5%. Age and gender had very small effects. CONCLUSIONS: Like parents' ratings, youths' self-ratings of problems were affected much more by individual differences than societal/cultural differences. Most variance in self-rated strengths also reflected individual differences, but societal/cultural effects were larger than for problems, suggesting greater influence of social desirability. The clinical significance of individual differences in youths' self-reports should thus not be minimized by societal/cultural differences, which-while important-can be taken into account with appropriate norms, as can gender and age differences.

Social Skills and Psychological Disorders: Converging and Criterion-Related Validity for YSR and IHSA-Del-Prette in Adolescents at Risk / Habilidades sociales y trastornos psicológicos: validez convergente y de criterio para YSR e IHSA- Del-Prette en Adolescentes en riesgo

This study evaluated indexes of converging and criterion-related validity for the Social Skills Inventory for Adolescents (IHSA-Del-Prette) and the Youth Self-Report (YSR) in two samples: one referring to clinical service (CLIN), with 28 adolescents (64.3% boys), 11 through 17 years old (M = 13.75; SD = 1.74), and the other referring to a psycho-educational program (PME = 46.2%), mainly composed ofboys (91.7%) aged 13 through 17 (M = 15.33; SD = 1.47). Both samples completed the two inventories. Results showed a high incidence of psychological disorders in both samples (between 4% and 79% in the borderline or clinical range on YSR scales) and accentuated deficits in the general and subscale scores of IHSA-Del-Prette, especially on the frequency scale (25% to 58%). The correlations between the instruments in the two groups supported criterion-related and converging validity. Some issues concerning the differences between the samples and about the construct of social competence, underlying these inventories, are discussed.

Este estudio evaluó los índices de validez convergente y de criterio para el Social Skills Inventory for Adolescents (IHSA-Del-Prette) y el Youth Self-Report (YSR) en dos muestras: una que fue referida al servicio clínico (CLIN), con 28 adolescentes (64.3% hombres), entre 11 a 17 años de edad (M = 13.75; DE = 1.74), y otra que fue referida a un programa psico-educa-tivo (PME = 46.2%), principalmente compuesto de hombres jóvenes (91.7%) entre los 13 y los 17 años de edad (M = 15.33; DE = 1.47). Las dos muestras completaron los dos inventarios. Los resultados mostraron una alta incidencia de desórdenes psicológicos en ambas muestras (entre 4% y 79% en el límite o rango clínico en las escalas YSR) y déficits acentuados en las puntuaciones generales y subescala de IHSA-Del-Prette, especialmente en la escala de frecuencia (25% a 58%). Las correlaciones entre los instrumentos en los dos grupos apoyaron la validez de criterio y la convergente. Se discuten algunos aspectos que subyacen a estos inventarios relacionados con las diferencias entre las muestras y con respecto al constructo de la competencia social.