Comparisons of problems reported by youths from seven countries

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cross-cultural Psychology
• Adolescent Development

Background:

• Adolescent behavioral and emotional problems are a significant concern globally.
• Understanding cross-cultural variations in these problems is crucial for effective intervention.
• Existing research often lacks diverse international samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare self-reported behavioral and emotional problems in adolescents across seven diverse countries.
• To identify cross-cultural differences and similarities in adolescent psychopathology.
• To evaluate the utility of empirically based self-report measures in a global context.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of Youth Self-Report (YSR) scores from 7,137 adolescents (ages 11-18).
• Inclusion of general population samples from Australia, China, Israel, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the United States.
• Statistical comparison of mean problem scores and item correlations across countries.

Main Results:

• Small to medium effect sizes were observed for cross-cultural variations in problem scores.
• Adolescents from China and Jamaica reported the highest mean total problems, while those from Israel and Turkey reported the lowest.
• Consistent gender differences were found: girls reported higher internalizing and lower externalizing problems than boys.

Conclusions:

• Empirically based self-report assessments are robust for evaluating and comparing adolescent problems across cultures.
• Adolescent self-reports complement parent-reported data and offer a cost-effective method for identifying needs.
• Culturally sensitive assessment is vital for addressing the mental health challenges of diverse adolescent populations.