Development and Validation of the Mental Health Scale for Maltreated Children

• Published in: Psychiatry investigation Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 242 - 254
• Main Authors: Kim, Bin-Na, Jo, Hyeseon, Kang, Suhyeon, Kim, Soo-Yeon, Park, Ha-young, Park, Jungkyu, Kang, Hyo Shin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 01.03.2024; 대한신경정신의학회
• Subjects: Original; 정신과학; Psychometrics; Self report; Child maltreatment; Mental health
• ISSN: 1738-3684; 1976-3026
• DOI: 10.30773/pi.2023.0313

Objective This study aimed to develop and validate a comprehensive self-report questionnaire to assess emotional and behavioral problems and psychological trauma in maltreated children.Methods The Mental Health Scale for Maltreated Children (MHS-MC) was constructed to encompass five major symptoms (depression, anxiety, inattention/hyperactivity/impulsivity, aggression/defiance, and psychological trauma) prevalent in maltreated children. Critical items and ego-resilience subscale were also devised to increase clinical utility. After informed consent, 205 children (maltreated children, n=157, 76.6%) were recruited nationwide, and they answered a package of self-report measures, including the MHS-MC. Reliability, construct validity, concurrent validity, and criterion-related validity were examined to explore the psychometric properties.Results The reliability was good to excellent. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded a five-factorial solution for the symptom subscales supporting construct validity. In logistic regression, the total scores of the MHS-MC predicted membership in the maltreated group. Criterion-related validity was generally satisfactory in that all subscales of the MHS-MC showed significant correlations with relevant measures in the expected direction.Conclusion This is the first attempt to develop a comprehensive psychological scale based on nationwide data collected from maltreated Korean children. We hope that the continued standardization of this scale will contribute to evidence-based clinical and policy decisionmaking for maltreated children.