MAYSI-2
Also written as: MAYSI-2 — Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Version 2
Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Version 2, a brief screening tool for identifying mental health problems in youth entering juvenile justice systems.
Full Definition
The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Version 2 (MAYSI-2) is a self-report screening questionnaire designed to identify youth in juvenile justice facilities who may have mental health problems requiring immediate attention or further assessment. The instrument contains 52 yes/no questions covering seven scales: alcohol/drug use, angry-irritable, depressed-anxious, somatic complaints, suicide ideation, thought disturbance, and traumatic experiences. The MAYSI-2 provides separate norms for males and females across different age groups and includes caution and warning cutoff scores to alert staff to youth needing prompt mental health evaluation or crisis intervention.
Usage
Usage note: Specifically designed for juvenile justice populations, not general mental health settings.
In Context
- "The MAYSI-2 screening indicated elevated scores on the suicide ideation and depressed-anxious scales, prompting immediate psychiatric evaluation." — intake screening report
- "All youth complete the MAYSI-2 within 24 hours of facility admission as part of the standard screening protocol." — facility procedures manual