DetectaWeb-Distress Scale: A Global and Multidimensional Web-Based Screener for Emotional Disorder Symptoms in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Emotional disorder symptoms are highly prevalent and a common cause of disability among children and adolescents. Screening and early detection are needed to identify those who need help and to improve treatment outcomes. Nowadays, especially with the arrival of the COVID-19 outbreak, assessment is increasingly conducted online, resulting in the need for brief online screening measures. The aim of the current study was to examine the reliability and different sources of validity evidence of a new web-based screening questionnaire for emotional disorder symptoms, the DetectaWeb-Distress Scale, which assesses mood (major depression and dysthymic disorder), anxiety (separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, social phobia, panic disorder/agoraphobia, and specific phobia), obsessive–compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidality (suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts), and global distress. A total of 1,499 participants (aged 8–18) completed the DetectaWeb-Distress Scale and specific questionnaires for emotional disorder symptoms, suicidal behaviors, and well-being through a web-based survey. Results indicated that a structural model of 10 correlated factors fits reasonably better in comparison to the remaining models; measurement invariance for age and gender; good internal consistency (McDonald's ω ranging from 0.65 to 0.94); and significant positive correlation with other measures of anxiety, depression, PTSD, or distress, and negative correlation with well-being measures, displaying support for convergent-discriminant validity. We also found that girls scored higher than boys on most of the subscales, and children had higher scores for social anxiety, specific phobia, panic disorder, and obsessive–compulsive symptoms, whereas adolescents scored higher on depressive symptoms, suicidality, and generalized anxiety, but the effect sizes were small to medium for all comparisons. The DetectaWeb-Distress Scale is a valid, innovative, and useful online tool for the screening and evaluation of preventive programs for mental health in children and adolescents.

Assessing Emotional Distress in Adolescents: Psychometrics of the Spanish Version of the Social Emotional Distress Scale-Secondary

“…The gender differences found in this study were consistent with previous research showing that women are more likely to express internalizing symptoms, and men are more likely to express externalizing symptoms (Rocchino et al, 2017 ). Furthermore, the small effect sizes found for these gender differences are consistent with previous studies reporting the small magnitude of gender differences in adolescent internalizing problems (Piqueras et al, 2021a ). These findings suggest that gender differences, albeit small, should be considered when interpreting the SEDS-S results.…”

“…Internalizing symptoms and the underlying distress refer to psychological problems experienced inwardly, primarily characterized by negative affect such as anxiety, depression, and stress. These symptoms and distress are often concealed from others and may not be immediately visible to people outside the individual experiencing them (Piqueras et al, 2021a ). The comprehensive mental health framework produces a complete picture of students’ psychosocial functioning, leading schools to strive to alleviate identified youths’ psychological distress.…”

Short Form of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-Youth Self-Report (PSC-17-Y): Spanish Validation Study

“…The gender differences found in this study were consistent with the overwhelming prior research establishing that females are more likely to express INT symptoms and males are more likely to express EXT symptoms [ 49 - 51 ]. Furthermore, the small ES found in these gender differences is also consistent with other ones, which highlighted the small magnitude of gender differences in INT problems among children and adolescents [ 52 ]. These findings suggest that gender differences should be considered when pediatric and mental health professionals interpret PSC-17-Y results.…”

Short Form of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-Youth Self-Report (PSC-17-Y): Spanish Validation Study (Preprint)

“…The gender differences found in this study were consistent with the overwhelming prior research establishing that females are more likely to express INT symptoms and males are more likely to express EXT symptoms [49][50][51]. Furthermore, the small ES found in these gender differences is also consistent with other ones, which highlighted the small magnitude of gender differences in INT problems among children and adolescents [52]. These findings suggest that gender differences should be considered when pediatric and mental health professionals interpret PSC-17-Y results.…”