Test of Validity and Reliability of the Adolescent Mental Problem Questionnaire for Korean High School Students

PURPOSE: This study was done to test the validity and reliability of the Adolescent Mental Problem Questionnaire (AMPQ) for Korean high school students. METHODS: The AMPQ was designed to assess adolescents' mental health status and problem behavior (Ahn, 2006). A methodological study design was used with exploratory factor analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and a fitness of the modified model for validity. Also, Cronbach's alpha coefficients and alternative-form method for reliability were used. AMPQ was tested with a sample of 36,313 high school students. The participants consisted of 18,701 males and 17,612 females. RESULTS: Seven factors were extracted through factor analysis: 'Psychiatric problems', 'Delinquency', 'Academic troubles', 'Family problems', 'Hazardous behavior', 'Harmful circumstance', 'Eating problems'. These factors explained 51.1% of the total variance. The fitness of the modified model was good (chi-square=38,413.76, Goodness of Fit Index [GFI]=.94, Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index [AGFI]=.93, Comparative Fit Index [CFI]=.95, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation [RMSEA]=.05), and concurrent validity with Korea-Youth Self-Report [K-YSR] was .63. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the 31 items was .85. CONCLUSION: The results of present study suggest that the modified AMPQ instrument may be useful for efficiently assessing mental health status and problem behavior in late adolescent, high school students.

Development of Screening Test for Adolescent Mental Health and Problem Behavior / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to develop the screening questionnaire (Adolescent Mental Health and Problem Behavior Questionnaire, AMPQ) for detecting mental health problems and various problem behaviors in adolescents. METHODS: First, six main domains of questionnaire were defined and preliminary sub-items were collected through literature study, consultation data from field mental health experts, and preliminary survey study. Next, with these 52 preliminary items, we conducted nationwide survey on 1,267 middle and high school students of five districts of Korea. RESULTS: Through reliability test and factor analysis 34 items were finally filtered out. The Cronbach's alpha of these 34 items was .88. And correlation with K-YSR and K-CBCL were .34 (p<.01) and .68 (p<.01). CONCLUSION: AMPQ, which is comprised of relatively short list of items and at the same time covers overall mental health and problem behaviors in adolescents can be used by non-professionals as a screening questionnaire in school settings or mental health centers.