A Cross-Ethnic Validity Study of the Shortform Assessment for Children (SAC)

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the cross-ethnic measurement equivalence of the Shortform Assessment for Children (SAC) using a sample of 562 African American and 692 White children. Method: A prospective, two-panel survey design was used in this study. Baseline and 6-month follow-up data were used to conduct analyses of the reliability and validity of the SAC for each group. Results: Alpha reliabilities and test-retest reliabilities for the full scale and for each subscale (i.e., externalizing and internalizing) were good for both groups. There were more similarities than there were differences between the two groups in terms of criterion validity. Factorial equivalence findings suggested that the factor structure of the SAC was equivalent across the two groups. Conclusions: The SAC is a valid behavioral rating scale that can be used by social work practitioners and service providers working with African American and White children in the child welfare and juvenile system.

Mental Health Diagnostic Considerations in Racial/Ethnic Minority Youth

“…Roessner, Becker, Rothenberger, Rohde, and Banaschewski (2007) found similar discriminating validity of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Attention Problem Scale across a Brazilian sample and German sample of children diagnosed with ADHD. The Youth Self-Report and Short Form Assessment for Children demonstrated factor structure equivalence across racial/ethnic groups of Hispanic, non-Hispanic White, African American, and Asian American youth (O’Keefe, Mennen, & Lane, 2006; Tyson & Glisson, 2005). …”

The Effects of Organizational Culture and Climate on the Access to Mental Health Care in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems

“…The validity of the SAC was confirmed in three previous studies, each using a distinct and separate sample of children Hemmelgarn et al, 2003;Tyson & Glisson, 2005). Each of these studies used large samples to establish the construct validity, criterion validity, and cross-ethnic validity of the SAC when used to assess children referred to child welfare and juvenile justice systems.…”

“…The SAC is a validated, standardized measure developed by the Children's Mental Health Services Research Center with the support of the National Institute of Mental Health to assess the overall mental health and psychosocial functioning of children referred to juvenile justice and child welfare systems Hemmelgarn, Glisson, & Sharp, 2003;Tyson & Glisson, 2005). The SAC has separate norms for girls and boys, for preadolescents and adolescents, and for information collected from parents (or guardians) and teachers.…”

Gender Comparisons of Self-Identified Strengths and Coping Strategies: A Study of Adolescents in an Acute Psychiatric Facility

“…It has become conventional for researchers and clinicians, particularly those involved with adolescent populations, to group mental health problems into the two large categories or dimensions of ''internalizing'' (i.e., major depression, dysthymia, bipolar/affective, and PTSD) and ''externalizing'' (i.e., CD/ODD, ADHD, and adjustment) disorders (see Tyson and Glisson 2005, for review). When grouped together, more than twice as many adolescents were diagnosed with an internalizing disorder (61.6%) than with an externalizing disorder (28.5%).…”