E-Screening Children Mental Health Problems: Psychometric Evaluation of Parent and Teacher Scales

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Educational and Developmental Psychology, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran.

2 M.A. Student of Educational Psychology, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran

3 Ph.D. in Management, Physician, Social and Crime Prevention Directorate Judiciary, Tehran, Iran.

4 Ph.D. in Communication Sciences, Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Communication Sciences, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran

5 Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Department of Preschool Education, university of social welfare and rehabilitation sciences, Tehran, Iran

6 MSc., Social and Crime Prevention Directorate Judiciary, Tehran, Iran

7 Ph.D. in educational Psychoogy, Minesrty of Education, Tehran, Iran.

8 Ph.D. Student of Educational Psychology, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran.

10.48308/apsy.2024.234689.1615

Abstract

Aim: Due to the significance of screening for children's psychological problems, the high precision of utilizing multi-gate tools, and the accelerated and accurate data collection in the virtual realm, the present study aimed to develop an electronic instrument for psychological screening of children in the form of teacher and parent report versions.
Methods: The study included parents and teachers of elementary students from thirty-one provinces of the country. From each province, two cities were selected, and from each city, two schools were purposefully chosen. The sample group consisted of 2420 parents and 6972 teachers. The conceptual model of both instruments encompassed eight constructs: anxiety, depression, hyperactivity and inattention, bullying behaviors, academic and social impairments, self-regulation, self-harm, and risk of child abuse.
Results: Item analysis demonstrated that in the parent version, 139 items, and in the teacher version, 101 items exhibited satisfactory adequacy. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed an eight-factor structure in the parent version and a six-factor structure in the teacher version. In the final structure of the teacher version, two components, aggressive impulsive behaviors combined with inattention and hyperactivity, as well as self-injurious behaviors alongside child abuse, were identified. Coefficient alphas for internal consistency (0.73 - 0.97), ordinal alphas (0.86 - 0.98), and omegas (0.75 - 0.97) were obtained.
Conclusion: The electronic parent and teacher report versions exhibit appropriate structural validity and reliability for clinical and research purposes.

Keywords

Main Subjects


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