Innovations in Evidence-Based Assessments: Novel Strategies for Supporting Public Health, Policy, Research, and Practice
1 - (Sym 15) The Social-emotional, Evidence-based Developmental Strengths (SEEDS) Survey: A Transdiagnostic Element-based Assessment for Prevention and Treatment Services
Friday, November 18, 2022
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Location: Shubert/Uris, 6th Floor
Keywords: Assessment, Dissemination, Transdiagnostic Recommended Readings: Youngstrom, E. A., Van Meter, A., Frazier, T. W., Hunsley, J., Prinstein, M. J., Ong, M. L., & Youngstrom, J. K. (2017). Evidence‐based assessment as an integrative model for applying psychological science to guide the voyage of treatment. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 24(4), 331-363. Ebesutani, C. K. (2019). The Social-Emotional, Evidence-based Developmental Strengths Questionnaire: A Reliability and Validity Study. Korean Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38(2), 215-236. Floyd, F. J., & Widaman, K. F. (1995). Factor analysis in the development and refinement of clinical assessment instruments. Psychological Assessment, 7(3), 286–299.
Professor University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Honolulu, Hawaii
The promotion of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques and strategies typically manifest within the context of treatment delivery for persons formally identified with mental health issues. However, a complementary approach may be to emphasize core CBT elements through evidence-based transdiagnostic primary prevention and assessment-related quality improvement initiatives. This presentation focuses on one such effort, the Social-Emotional Evidence-Based Developmental Strengths (SEEDS) Assessment. The SEEDS is a novel youth-report tool that leverages distillation methodology to provide comprehensive screening of youth social-emotional competencies across important practice element skill sets, all towards the larger goal of reliably and validly assessing the extent to which youth utilize important CBT elements (e.g., relaxation, exposure) in their daily lives. To date, the SEEDS has been shown reliable and valid with only several large Korean samples. The current study examined the extent to which the SEEDS was able to perform as a reliable and valid measure with an ethnically diverse American sample (n = 402). In our study, the SEEDS demonstrated a hierarchical factor structure supporting both three higher-order (Thoughts, Behaviors, and Interpersonal) and lower-order domains centered on 13 practice elements. The chi-square statistic value for the 13-factor model was 2675.31 with df = 1814 (p < .01). Model fit indices for the 13-factor model included CFI = .94, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .03, SRMR = .06. Further, although slightly variable at the 13 practice element level, internal consistencies generally fell in the acceptable range, and in the good to excellent range for the higher-order levels (Thoughts = .90, Behaviors = .87, Interpersonal = .85). Finally, convergent and divergent validity were demonstrated through expected and significantly medium to large correlations with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). This is the first study of the SEEDS, a self-report on utilization of practice elements derived from the evidence base, with a large American sample. Implications regarding evidence-based assessment, primary prevention events, and cognitive behavioral therapy implementation will be discussed.