MAYSI-2
Definition
Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Second Version; a brief mental-health screening tool for young people in juvenile justice settings, widely used in US detention intake but lacking normative data for non-US populations.
- Full name
- Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument, Second Version
- Purpose
- Brief mental-health screening for youth
- Typical setting
- Juvenile justice detention intake
- Limitation
- Lacks normative data for non-US populations
Common questions
Why does the lack of non-US norms matter for using MAYSI-2 abroad?+
Screening scores are interpreted against a normative baseline, and applying US-derived cutoffs to a different population risks over- or under-flagging youth for mental-health concerns, so results outside the US context need cautious interpretation.
Is MAYSI-2 a diagnostic tool?+
No, it is a screening instrument meant to flag youth who may need a fuller clinical evaluation, not to establish a diagnosis on its own, and positive screens are typically followed by more detailed assessment.
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