Psychometric properties of the Mental Health and Social Inadaptation Assessment for Adolescents (MIA) in a population-based sample

We report on the psychometric properties of the Mental Health and Social Inadaptation Assessment for Adolescents (MIA), a self-report instrument for quantifying the frequency of mental health and psychosocial adaptation problems using a dimensional approach and based on the DSM-5. The instrument includes 113 questions, takes 20-25 minutes to answer, and covers the past 12 months. A population-based cohort of adolescents (n = 1443, age = 15 years; 48% males) rated the frequency at which they experienced symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Depression, Generalized Anxiety, Social Phobia, Eating Disorders (i.e. DSM disorders), Self-harm, Delinquency, Psychopathy as well as social adaptation problems (e.g. aggression). They also rated interference with functioning in four contexts (family, friends, school, daily life). Reliability analyses indicated good to excellent internal consistency for most scales (alpha = 0.70-0.97) except Psychopathy (alpha = 0.46). The hypothesized structure of the instrument showed acceptable fit according to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) [Chi-square (4155) = 9776.2, p = 0.000; Chi-square/DF = 2.35; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.031; Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.864], and good convergent and discriminant validity according to multitrait-multimethods analysis. This initial study showed adequate internal validity and reliability of the MIA. Our findings open the way for further studies investigating other validity aspects, which are necessary before recommending the wide use of the MIA in research and clinical settings.