Spanish-Moroccan differences in school, clinical, and personal maladjustment during adolescence

Abstract

Schools play a fundamental role in promoting psychological and academic adjustment during adolescence. Given that the majority of students in the classrooms are of Spanish and Moroccan origin, the main objective of this study was to conduct a cross-cultural Spain-Morocco analysis of scholar, clinical, and personal maladjustment, taking into account both sex and age. In order to ensure a valid assessment, a preliminary objective was set to adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Behavioural Assessment System for Children and Adolescents (BASC-S3) in the Moroccan context. A total of 1,707 students participated, 941 residing in Spain and 766 in Morocco, aged between 11 and 19 years. The results demonstrated adequate psychometric properties for both the Spanish and Moroccan versions of the questionnaire, along with sex and age invariance within each country and between the two countries. Comparisons within each country revealed few differences based on sex and age. However, comparisons between countries have revealed lower levels of scholar, clinical, and personal maladjustment in Spain than in Morocco. Considering these cultural differences may help to design more effective preventive interventions and improve psychological assessment and care.