Validity studies of a parent-completed social-emotional measure in a representative sample in China

Abstract In China, more than 90% of individuals in need are not receiving mental health services, partially because of the scarcity of valid and reliable developmental tools. This project aimed to adapt and validate a parent-completed screening tool, the Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2), to fill in this gap. First, a national representative sample of 2,830 children was accessed to establish cutoff scores. Results from a confirmatory multidimensionality item response theory analysis supported a two-factor structure with this sample. Evidence for item response theory reliabilities and internal consistency were also examined. The second study compared the Chinese ASQ:SE-2 with three convergent measures in a regional sample. Chinese ASQ:SE-2 total scores significantly correlated with most of the domain and total scores on the convergent measures. The classification agreement achieved a maximum of 85%. This project supports the use of the ASQ:SE-2 in the Chinese population, enhancing its clinical utility.