Disagreements Among Informants in Youth Mental Health Services Evidenced in New Study

Strategic Insights -

Recent research at the University of Maryland has revealed a critical issue in youth mental health services: disagreements among informants, including caregivers, teachers, and the youth themselves, regarding the rationale for interventions and achieving intervention success. This study is based on a school-based sample of 173 sixth- to eighth-grade youth and their respective caregivers and teachers, who identified needs for intervention and goals for intervention. Surprisingly, the study found low levels of between-informant agreement on needs and goals for intervention, with kappa values ranging from 0.01 to 0.11. The study's findings have significant implications for improving the effectiveness of youth mental health services.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study demonstrates a significant issue in youth mental health services: disagreements among informants, including caregivers, teachers, and the youth themselves, regarding the rationale for interventions and achieving intervention success.
  • The study highlights the importance of considering multiple perspectives in youth mental health services, including those of caregivers, teachers, and the youth themselves.
  • The study's findings have significant implications for improving the effectiveness of youth mental health services, including the development of more comprehensive and inclusive assessment tools.
  • The study estimates that informant disagreements occur more frequently in school-based assessments relative to other service environments, such as hospitals and community mental health clinics.
  • The study's results emphasize the need for a more nuanced understanding of the factors contributing to these disagreements and the development of strategies to address them.
  • The study suggests that the Kids' Behavior in Context Scales (KICS) may be a useful tool for assessing the contexts in which youth needs and goals manifest.
  • The study's authors include Andres de los Reyes, Emma Fine, Trey Herman, Akram Yusuf, Bridget A. Makol, Mo Wang, Elizabeth Talbott, and Bryce D. Mcleod.

Statistics:

  • The study was conducted on a school-based sample of 173 sixth- to eighth-grade youth and their respective caregivers and teachers.
  • The study found low levels of between-informant agreement on needs and goals for intervention, with kappa values ranging from 0.01 to 0.11.
  • For only 2% of youth, all three informants (caregivers, teachers, and the youth themselves) endorsed the same pair of needs and goals.
  • The study estimates that informant disagreements occur more frequently in school-based assessments relative to other service environments.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Researchers at University of Maryland Target Mental Health Diseases and Conditions [The Kids' Behavior In Context Scales (Kics) I: Teacher, Caregiver, and Youth Views On Needs and Goals for Intervention]. Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 20, 2025; p 925.
  • The Kids' Behavior In Context Scales (Kics) I: Teacher, Caregiver, and Youth Views On Needs and Goals for Intervention. Behavioral Disorders, 2025.
  • Sage Publications Inc, 2455 Teller Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA.