Prospective Validation of the START:AV in a secure youth care sample: Final Risk Judgments are predictive of inpatient outcomes

Authors Tamara L.F. de Beuf, Vivienne de Vogel, Nick Broers, Corine de Ruiter
Published in Assessment
Publication date 2021
Research groups Working with Mandated Clients
Type Article

Summary

The Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version (START:AV) is a risk assessment instrument for adolescents that estimates the risk of multiple adverse outcomes. Prior research into its predictive validity is limited to a handful of studies conducted with the START:AV pilot version and often by the instrument’s developers. The present study examines the START:AV’s field validity in a secure youth care sample in the Netherlands. Using a prospective design, we investigated whether the total scores, lifetime history, and the final risk judgments of 106 START:AVs predicted inpatient incidents during a 4-month follow-up. Final risk judgments and lifetime history predicted multiple adverse outcomes, including physical aggression, institutional violations, substance use, self-injury, and victimization. The predictive validity of the total scores was significant only for physical aggression and institutional violations. Hence, the short-term predictive validity of the START:AV for inpatient incidents in a residential youth care setting was partially demonstrated and the START:AV final risk judgments can be used to guide treatment planning and decision-making regarding furlough or discharge in this setting.

On this publication contributed

Language English
Published in Assessment
Key words START:AV, risk assessment, field validity, predictive validity, adolescent, strengths, adverse outcomes
Page range 1-18

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