Assessing the suitability and psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the YP-CORE for adolescents in Latin America: a study in Ecuador.

Background: This study had two main objectives: firstly, to assess the suitability of the Spanish translation of the Young Person's Clinical Outcome in Routine Evaluation (YP-CORE) for use in Latin America, and secondly, to investigate its psychometric properties specifically with Ecuadorian adolescents.

Methods: The research consisted of two phases. In Phase 1, insights were gathered from 19 adolescents and 12 experts regarding their comprehension of the YP-CORE. Based on the feedback received during this phase, a revised version of the YP-CORE was developed. In Phase 2, a psychometric assessment of this modified version was conducted with 298 adolescents in Ecuador, aged 11 to 17 years.

Results: The psychometric analysis revealed that this adapted version of the YP-CORE demonstrated satisfactory levels of acceptability, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. The factor analysis favored a two-factor model over a single factor, yet the minimal substantive distinctions between these two factors do not justify the use of subscale scoring. Furthermore, the scores indicated age-related differences, with older adolescents (aged 14 to 17 years) obtaining higher scores, and gender-related variations, with females scoring higher.

Conclusions: This study addresses the need for, and provides, a Spanish-adapted YP-CORE tailored for use in Latin America. This freely available version has the potential to offer valuable insights into interventions for adolescents in the region and to enhance our understanding of their psychological distress.