Long-Term Stability of Screening for Behavioral and Emotional Risk

Abstract

The practice of screening students to identify behavioral and emotional risk is gaining momentum, with limited guidance regarding the frequency with which screenings should occur. Screening frequency decisions are influenced by the stability of the constructs assessed and changes in risk status over time. This study investigated the 4-year longitudinal stability of behavioral and emotional risk screening scores among a sample of youth to examine change in risk status over time. Youth ( N = 156) completed a self-report screening measure, the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System, at 1-year intervals in the 8th through 11th grades. Categorical and dimensional stability coefficients, as well as transitions across risk status categories, were analyzed. A latent profile analysis was conducted to determine if there were salient and consistent patterns of screening scores over time. Stability coefficients were moderate to large, with stronger coefficients across shorter time intervals. Latent profile analysis pointed to a three-class solution in which classes were generally consistent with risk categories and stable across time. Results showed that the vast majority of students continued to be classified within the same risk category across time points. Implications for practice and future research needs are discussed.

Stability and Change of Behavioral and Emotional Screening Scores

“…In an examination of the stability of risk‐classification status as identified through universal screening, the majority of students reported normal levels of risk at both time points and did not shift from this categorization. These findings are aligned with previous research (Dowdy et al., ) and are consistent with the intended purpose of the form to find those few (e.g., approximately 20%) who are at‐risk and in need of additional assessment. Results suggest that those students who initially screen as At‐Risk may be ideal targets for additional screenings, due to findings that a large percentage demonstrated instability in their classification upon rescreening.…”

“…As with most applied research, some decisions regarding this screening effort, including the timeline, were made based on the needs and interests of the district. However, the 2‐year latency was of interest in the present study, given that previous research recommended as many as three screenings a year (Parisi et al., ; Walker et al., ), despite other work that suggested considerable stability over as much as a 4‐year latency, at least within a small sample (Dowdy et al., ).…”

“…However, these studies provide limited information regarding the stability of screening scores and classifications (At‐Risk vs. Not At‐Risk), or how frequently schools and districts should screen for behavioral and emotional risk to maximize efficiency and minimize risk to students. One initial empirical study examining the stability of screening scores found that behavioral and emotional risk screening classifications were largely stable across time, calling into question the need for multiple screenings within the same academic year (Dowdy, Nylund‐Gibson, Felix, Morovati, Carnazzo, & Dever, ). In this study, the authors engaged in once‐yearly screening across a 4‐year time period and found that dimensional stability coefficients ranged from .46 (across 4 years) to .71 (across 2 years).…”

The influence of different longitudinal patterns of peer victimization on psychosocial adjustment

“…The BESS Student has good split-half (.90-.93) and test-retest (.80) reliability estimates, and correlates with other measures of behavioral and emotional problems (e.g., ASEBA Youth Self Report Total Problems .81; Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2007). For this study's sample, the BESS Student BERI had α = .74 and good long-term stability (Dowdy, Nylund-Gibson, Felix, Morovati, & Dever, 2014).…”

Mental Health Screening at School

“…Dowdy and colleagues examined the stability of screening scores and found that behavioral and emotional risk screening classifications were moderately stable across a 4-year period (Dowdy et al 2014b). Moderate stability coefficients were also found for both overall risk and for domains of risk (internalizing, externalizing, adaptive skills, and school problems) in a district-wide effort across 2 years (Dever et al in press).…”