from the National Comorbidity Survey and is a reliable and valid
measure of general MH, and specific problems including
depressive symptoms [19]. Only questions pertaining to major
depression were asked of all caregivers. This variable was
dichotomized, with “yes” meaning that respondents endorsed
3 symptoms of depression.
Dependent variables. The outcomes of interest in this study were
five MH conditions: depression, suicidality, substance use
disorder, anxiety, and attention deficient hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD). Four standardized measures completed by either the
teen or the caregivers were used to assess these outcomes.
Youth Self Report (YSR). The YSR is a widely used child-report
measure that assesses problem behaviors in children ages 11e18
years. It was developed from a normative sample of 1,719 nationally
representative children who completed the YSR and who had
not receivedMHservices or special remedial school classes within
the past 12 months [20]. Test-retest reliabilities for total scores
were excellent for short- termand longer periods. The YSR is scored
in rawscores, T-scores, and percentile scores for nine narrow-band
problemscales and three broader symptomscales:Withdrawn(1);
Somatic Problems (2); Anxious/Depressed (3); Social Problems (4);
Thought Problems (5); Attention Problems (6); Delinquent