Youth Self-Report Factor Structure: Detecting Sex and Age Differences in Emotional and Behavioral Problems among Spanish School Adolescent Sample

Abstract

The Youth Self-Report (YSR/11-18) is a widely used child-report measure that assesses problem behaviors along two “broadband scales”: internalizing and externalizing. It also scores eight empirically based syndromes and DSM-oriented scales and provides a summary of total problems. Although the YSR was designed for youths ages 11-18, no studies have systematically evaluated whether youths under the age of 11 can make valid reports using the YSR broad-band, syndrome and DSM-oriented scales. It is a parallel form to the caretaker-completed Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and teacher-completed Teacher Report Form (TRF). Few studies related to YSR/11-18 (Achenbach, & Rescorla, 2000, 2001) factor structure were carried out in Spanish children and adolescent population. This study analyses the factor structure of this assessment tool, in 961 Spanish adolescents attending school from 13 to 18 years old. A principal components method was used to extract the factors followed by a Varimax rotation. According to current research, each sex was treated separately, and only items referred to misbehavior (105 out of 119) were included. Seven first-order common factors were found in both, boys and girls: Anxious/Depressed, Somatic Complaints, Delinquent Behavior, Aggressive Behavior, Attention Problems, Thought Problems and Relational Problems. Factoring of these seven syndromes led to a single second-order factor in younger males. Older males and females showed labeled internalize and externalize symptoms. These results resembled that obtained in former studies with Spanish population.