Top

Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research

Published in:

01-03-2012 | Original Paper

Motivation for Youth’s Treatment Scale (MYTS): A New Tool for Measuring Motivation Among Youths and Their Caregivers

Authors: Carolyn S. Breda, Manuel Riemer

Published in: Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research | Issue 1-2/2012

Abstract

Treatment motivation can be important for treatment adherence and outcomes, yet few measures of motivation are available for youths in mental health settings. These authors describe the psychometric properties of the motivation for youth’s treatment scale (MYTS), an 8-item measure with forms for youths and caregivers that assesses their problem recognition and treatment readiness. Results indicate that the MYTS offers practitioners and researchers a brief, psychometrically sound tool for assessing treatment motivation of youths and their caregivers. Multivariate analyses of clinical and non-clinical characteristics of youths and caregivers show that youths’ symptom severity consistently predicts treatment motivation for both groups. However, the strain of caring for the youth adds significantly to caregivers’ recognition of the youth’s troubles. While caregiver and youth motivations correlate, their agreement is low. Caregivers are nearly always more treatment motivated than youths. The authors discuss the implications of their findings for measurement, treatment planning, and future research.

Addis, M. E., & Mahalik, J. R. (2003). Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help seeking. American Psychologist, 58(1), 5–14.PubMedCrossRef

Athay, M. M., Riemer, M., & Bickman, L. (2012). The symptoms and functioning severity scale (SFSS): Psychometric evaluation and differences among youth, caregiver, and clinician ratings over time. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. doi:10.1007/s10488-012-0403-2.

Barksdale, C., Azur, M., & Leaf, P. (2010). Differences in mental health service sector utilization among African American and Caucasian youth entering systems of care programs. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 37(3), 363–373.CrossRef

Battjes, R., Gordon, M., O’Grady, K., Kinlock, T., & Carswell, M. (2003). Factors that predict adolescent motivation for substance abuse treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 24, 221–232.PubMedCrossRef

Bickman, L., Athay, M. M., Riemer, M., Lambert, E. W., Kelley, S. D., Breda, C., Tempesti, T., Dew-Reeves, S. E., Brannan, A. M., Vides de Andrade, A. R. (Eds). (2010). Manual of the peabody treatment progress battery, [Electronic version], (2nd edn.). Nashville: Vanderbilt University. http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/ptpb\.

Bickman, L., Kelley, S., Breda, C., de Vides Andrade, A. R., & Riemer, M. (2011). Effects of routine feedback to clinicians on youth mental health outcomes: A randomized cluster design. Psychiatric Services, 62, 1423–1429.PubMedCrossRef

Bickman, L., Riemer, M., Lambert, E. W., Kelley, S. D., Breda, C., Dew., S., et al. (2007). Manual of the Peabody Treatment and Progress Battery (Electronic version). Nashville: Vanderbilt University. http://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/ptpb/.

Bickman, L., Vides de Andrade, A. R., Athay, M. M., Chen, J. I., De Nadai, A. S., Jordan-Arthur, B., & Karver, M. S. (2012). The relationship between change in therapeutic alliance ratings and improvement in youth symptom severity: Whose ratings matter the most? Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. doi:10.1007/s10488-011-0398-0.

Brannan, A. M., Athay, M. M., & Vides de Andrade, A. (2012). Measurement quality of the Caregiver Strain Questionnaire-Short Form 7 (CGSQ-SF7). Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. doi:10.1007/s10488-012-0412-1.

Breda, C. S. (2003). Offender ethnicity and mental health service referrals from juvenile courts. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 30, 644–667.CrossRef

Breda, C., & Heflinger, C. A. (2004). Predicting incentives to change among adolescents with substance abuse disorder. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 30(2), 251–267.PubMedCrossRef

Breland-Noble, A. M., Burriss, A., Poole, H. K., & AAKOMA Project Adult Advisory Board. (2010). Engaging depressed African-American adolescents in treatment: Lessons from The AAKOMA Project. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 66(8), 868–879.CrossRef

Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of accessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 136–162). Newbury Park: Sage.

Burns, B., Angold, A., & Costello, E. (1992). Measuring child, adolescent, and family service use. In L. Bickman & D. J. Rog (Eds.), Evaluating mental health services for children (pp. 42–65). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Cady, M. E., Winters, K. C., Jordan, D. A., Solberg, K. B., & Stinchfield, R. D. (1996). Motivation to change as a predictor of treatment outcome for adolescent substance abusers. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 5(1), 73–91.CrossRef

DeLeon, G., Melnick, G., Kressel, D., & Jainchill, N. (1994). Circumstances, motivation, readiness, and suitability: Predicting retention in therapeutic community treatment—The CMRS scales. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 20, 495–515.CrossRef

DiClemente, C., & Prochaska, J. (1998). Toward comprehensive, transtheoretical model of change: Stages of change and addictive behaviors. In W. Miller & N. Heather (Eds.), Treating addictive behaviors (2nd ed., pp. 3–24). New York: Plenum Press.

dosReis, S., Mychailyszyn, M. P., Myers, M., & Riley, A. W. (2007). Coming to terms with ADHD: How urban African–American families come to seek care for their children. Psychiatric Services, 58(5), 636–641.PubMedCrossRef

Garland, A. F., Aarons, G. A., Saltzman, M. D., & Kruse, M. I. (2000). Correlates of adolescents’ satisfaction with mental health services. Mental Health Services Research, 2(3), 127–139.PubMedCrossRef

Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indices in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55.CrossRef

Kazdin, A. E., Holland, L., Crowley, M., & Breton, S. (1997). Barriers to treatment participation scale: Evaluation and validation in the context of child outpatient treatment. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38(8), 1051–1062.PubMedCrossRef

McConnaughy, E. A., DiClemente, C. C., Prochaska, J. O., & Velicer, W. F. (1989). Stages of change in psychotherapy: A follow-up report. Psychotherapy, 26, 494–503.CrossRef

McConnaughy, E. A., Prochaska, J. O., & Velicer, W. F. (1983). Stages of change in psychotherapy: Measurement and sample profiles. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, 20, 368–375.CrossRef

McMiller, W. P., & Weisz, J. R. (1996). Help-seeking preceding mental health clinic intake among African–American, Latino, and Caucasian youths. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35(8), 1086–1094.PubMedCrossRef

McMurran, M., Theodosi, E., & Sellen, J. (2006). Measuring engagement in therapy and motivation to change in adult prisoners: A brief report. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 16(2), 124–129.PubMedCrossRef

Mechanic, D. (1978). Effects of psychological distress on perceptions of physical health and use of medical and psychiatric facilities. Journal of Human Stress, 4, 26–32.PubMed

Melnick, G., DeLeon, G., Hawke, J., Jainchill, N., & Kressel, D. (1997). Motivation and readiness for therapeutic community treatment among adolecents and adults substance abusers. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 23(4), 485–506.PubMedCrossRef

Möller-Leimkühler, A. (2002). Barriers to help-seeking by men: a review of socio-cultural and clinical literature with particular reference to depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 71, 1–9.PubMedCrossRef

Nock, M. K., & Ferriter, C. (2005). Parent management of attendance and adherence in child and adolescent therapy: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 8, 149–166.PubMedCrossRef

Nock, M. K., & Kazdin, A. E. (2001). Parent expectancies for child therapy: Assessment and relation to participation in treatment. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 10, 155–180.CrossRef

Nock, M. K., & Photos, V. I. (2006). Parent motivation to participate in treatment: Assessment and prediction of subsequent participation. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 15, 345–358.CrossRef

Prochaska, J. O. (1995). An eclectic and integrative approach: Transtheoretical therapy. In A. S. Gurman & S. B. Messer (Eds.), Essential psychotherapies: Theory and practice (pp. 403–440). New York: Guilford Press.

Prochaska, J. O., DiClemente, C. C., & Norcross, J. C. (1992). In search of how people change. American Psychologist, 47, 1102–1114.PubMedCrossRef

Reise, S. P., & Waller, N. G. (2009). Item response theory and clinical measurement. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 5, 27–48.PubMedCrossRef

Riemer, M., Athay, M. M., Bickman, L., Breda, C., Kelley, S. D., & Vides de Andrade, A. (2012). The Peabody Treatment Progress Battery: History and methods for developing a comprehensive measurement battery for youth mental health. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. doi:10.1007/s10488-012-0404-1.

Ryan, R. M., Plant, R. W., & O’Malley, S. (1995). Initial motivations for alcohol treatment: Relations with patient characteristics, treatment involvement, and dropout. Addictive Behaviors, 20, 279–297.PubMedCrossRef

Saunders, S. M., Resnick, M. D., Hoberman, H. M., & Blum, R. W. (1994). Formal help-seeking behavior of adolescents identifying themselves as having mental health problems. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 33(5), 718–728.PubMedCrossRef

Schmitt, J. S., & Di Fabio, R. P. (2004). Reliable change and minimum important difference (MID) proportions facilitated group responsiveness comparisons using individual threshold criteria. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 57, 1008–1018.PubMedCrossRef

Simpson, D. D. (2001 October). Evidence for the TCU treatment process model. Retrieved January 29, 2007 from http://www.ibr.tcu.edu/presentations/PDF/tpm-evidence.pdf.

Stein, G. L., Curry, J., Hersh, J., Breland-Noble, A. M., March, J., Silva, S. A., et al. (2010). Ethnic differences among adolescents beginning treatment for depression. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16(2), 152–158.PubMedCrossRef

U.S. Public Health Service. (2000). Report of the Surgeon General’s Conference on Mental Health: A national action agenda. Washington: Department of Health and Human Services.

Wright, B. D., & Linacre, J. M. (1994). Reasonable mean-square fit values. Rasch Measurement Transactions, 8, 370. Retrieved March 10, 2011 from www.rasch.org/rmt/rmt83b.htm.

Title: Motivation for Youth’s Treatment Scale (MYTS): A New Tool for Measuring Motivation Among Youths and Their Caregivers
Authors: Carolyn S. Breda
Manuel Riemer
Publication date: 01-03-2012
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research / Issue 1-2/2012
Print ISSN: 0894-587X
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3289
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-012-0408-x

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Motivation for Youth’s Treatment Scale (MYTS): A New Tool for Measuring Motivation Among Youths and Their Caregivers

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1-2/2012

Validation and Use of the Youth and Caregiver Treatment Outcome Expectations Scale (TOES) to Assess the Relationships Between Expectations, Pretreatment Characteristics, and Outcomes

Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in Caregivers of Clinically-Referred Youth: Psychometric Properties and Mediation Analysis

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Youth and Caregiver Service Satisfaction Scale

The Peabody Treatment Progress Battery: History and Methods for Developing a Comprehensive Measurement Battery for Youth Mental Health

Why Can’t Mental Health Services be More Like Modern Baseball?

Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale—PTPB Version (BMSLSS-PTPB): Psychometric Properties and Relationship with Mental Health Symptom Severity Over Time