Latent Profiles of Responding on the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-2 Subscale Scores by Race/Ethnicity among Juvenile Justice-Involved Boys and Girls

• Published date: 01 October 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/15412040231153116
• Author: Jeremiah W. Jaggers,Crosby A. Modrowski,Patricia K. Kerig,Robyn E. Kilshaw,Christopher Cambron,Ashley K. Allen
• Date: 01 October 2023
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice

2023, Vol. 21(4) 350–370

© The Author(s) 2023

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DOI: 10.1177/15412040231153116

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Latent Prof‌iles of Responding on

the Massachusetts Youth

Screening Instrument-2

Subscale Scores by Race/

Ethnicity among Juvenile

Justice-Involved Boys and Girls

Jeremiah W. Jaggers

1

, Crosby A. Modrowski

2

, Patricia K. Kerig

3

,

Robyn E. Kilshaw

3

, Christopher Cambron

1

, and Ashley K. Allen

1

Abstract

The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument (MAYSI-2) is one of the most widely utilized

screening measures for detecting mental health concerns among youth entering juvenile detention

settings. Previous research has demonstrated clear patterns of sex differences in the severity of

mental health symptoms among detained boys and girls. However, few studies have examined

potential racial or ethnic differences in MAYSI-2 scores, which is a signif‌icant limitati on. This study

examined sex and racial/ethnic differences in patterns of youth responses on the MAYSI-2. Data

were collected from a total of 5417 youth detained in a short-term detention facility in the

Mountain West. Results of latent prof‌ile analyses demonstrated that, among both boys and girls,

youths’racial/ethnic identity was associated with distinct patterns of responding on the MAYSI-2.

These f‌indings have implications for informing screening in the juvenile justice system and in-

creasing recognition and response to ethnic/racial and sex differences among detained youth.

Keywords

juvenile justice, MAYSI-2, latent prof‌ile analysis, race, ethnicity, sex, gender

Youth involved in the juvenile justice (JJ) system, especially racially- and ethnically-minoritized

youth, experience greater risk for mental health concerns compared to youth in community

settings (Barnert et al., 2016;Marston et al., 2012). Data from two nationally representative

1

University of Utah College of Social Work, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

2

Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Providence, RI, USA

3

University of Utah Department of Psychology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

Corresponding Author:

Jeremiah W. Jaggers, College of Social Work, 395 S. 1500 E. #111, Salt Lake City, UT 84113, USA.

Email: jeremiah.jaggers@utah.edu

samples suggest that 50–70% of justice-involved youth meet diagnostic criteria for at least one

mental health disorder within the past year, and many meet criteria for two or more disorders

(Teplin et al., 2021;Abram et al., 2015;Vaughn et al., 2015). One statewide study of incarcerated

white and African American youth found that African American youth were more likely to report

delinquent behavior than their white counterparts (Vaughn et al., 2008), demonstrating a need for

targeted services that considers racial and ethnic differences. Accordingly, access to valid and

reliable methods for assessing the mental health needs of youth in the justice system is essential for

directing youth to appropriate treatments and for ensuring the safety of youth and staff while in

care. To this end, the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument, Second Edition, (MAYSI-2;

Grisso & Barnum., 2006) was developed and has become among the most widely used mental

health screening tools for JJ-involved youth. The MAYSI-2 was designed to screen for mental

health needs or immediate safety concerns (e.g., aggressive or self-harming behavior) among

detained adolescents and has demonstrated its reliability, validity, and clinical utility among

diverse samples of youth in detention and other JJ settings (Cauffman et al., 2004;Wasserman

et al., 2005;Eno Louden et al., 2017). In this regard, the Angry-Irritable and Suicide Ideation

scores play a key role in identifying at the point of intake youth who are at risk for aggressive

behavior or self-harm while detained. Suicidal behavior is of particular concern in juvenile fa-

cilities given the high rates among youth in this population (Abram et al., 2013;Teplin et al., 2021)

and the recent sharp increases in suicidality among Black youth, especially girls (Shefall et al.,

2022).

Previous meta-analyses have reported that mental health problems among JJ-involved youth

are not equally distributed across sex/gender and race/ethnicity (Vincent et al., 2008). Further

research has shown that item functioning is not equivalent across racial groups. While minor

differences exist across all scales, Alcohol/Drug Use and Suicidal Ideation demonstrate the largest

difference. Moreover, measurement equivalence, which is a fundamental issue in formalized

assessment (Knight et al., 2009) is not equivalent for youth’s repeated resonses across time by race

and sex (Jaggers et al., 2021). Simply put, the items do not measure each construct identically

across racial groups and time. Mulitple factors may account for these differences. Cultural factors,

and in particular differences in language interpretation across cultural groups, may account for

differential item functioning(Cauffman & MacIntosh, 2006). Additionally, differential symptom

patterning across both race and sex (Vincent, Grisso, & Banks, 2008) may account for some of the

noted differences.

Limited research has shown that slight modif‌ications to the MAYSI items can imrpove the

psychometric utility of the tool by more closly aligning the subscales with other, more widely

applicable instruments such as the Suicide Ideation Questionnaire, the Structured Assessment of

Violence Risk in Youth, and the widely used Kiddie-Sads-Present and Lifetime version (Zannella

et al., 2018;Ford et al., 2008).

Some sex differences are built into the MAYSI-2. The TE subscale is comprised of different

items for boys and girls whereas the TD subscale has been found to be valid for use only among

boys (Grisso & Barnum., 2006). In addition, however, even on subscales normed for both sexes,

clear patterns of sex differences have emerged whereby JJ-involved girls consistently report

higher levels than boys of clinically signif‌icant mental health problems (Cauffman et al., 2007),

including posttraumatic stress, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression, across a wide range of

samples and geographic regions (Kerig & Becker, 2012;Archer et al., 2010;Vincent et al., 2008).

Accordingly, in light of these gender differences, data for boys and girls need to be considered

separately in analyses of scores derived from the MAYSI-2.

In contrast to sex/gender, fewer studies have examined potential racial/ethnic differences in

MAYSI-2 scores. Racial/ethnic differences in assessment instruments is a topic of considerable

concern given the disproportionate representation of youth who are black, indigenous, and persons

Jaggers et al. 351