Abstract

For preventive interventions in school mental health to be effective, it is essential to have valid and reliable screening instruments that can detect students in need of more support. In order to do this, the present study is aimed at assessing the psychometric properties of the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation, an interview for teachers that measures school adjustment difficulties. The study evaluated 10,287 adolescents participating in a Chilean public program for improving mental health in schools. Of the total sample, 5,815 (56.5%) students were in 6th grade and were 12.91 years old on average (SD= 1391). Exploratory factor analyses were used to identify four dimensions (behavioral, learning, social, and autonomy-related difficulties), which were tested using structural equations. Reliability analyses show that all factors have high levels of internal consistency and differ according to age, grade, and extreme poverty. The article discusses the results obtained, their implications, and the importance of performing screening in schools through rigorously assessed psychometric instruments.