This study was done to test the validity and reliability of the Adolescent Mental Problem Questionnaire (AMPQ) for Korean high school students.

The AMPQ was designed to assess adolescents' mental health status and problem behavior (Ahn, 2006). A methodological study design was used with exploratory factor analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and a fitness of the modified model for validity. Also, Cronbach's alpha coefficients and alternative-form method for reliability were used. AMPQ was tested with a sample of 36,313 high school students. The participants consisted of 18,701 males and 17,612 females.

Seven factors were extracted through factor analysis: 'Psychiatric problems', 'Delinquency', 'Academic troubles', 'Family problems', 'Hazardous behavior', 'Harmful circumstance', 'Eating problems'. These factors explained 51.1% of the total variance. The fitness of the modified model was good (χ²=38,413.76, Goodness of Fit Index [GFI]=.94, Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index [AGFI]=.93, Comparative Fit Index [CFI]=.95, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation [RMSEA]=.05), and concurrent validity with Korea-Youth Self-Report [K-YSR] was .63. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the 31 items was .85.

The results of present study suggest that the modified AMPQ instrument may be useful for efficiently assessing mental health status and problem behavior in late adolescent, high school students.

This study was done using meta-analysis to examine 58 studies from studies published in the past eight years (2000 to 2007) that included variables related to adolescents' suicidal ideation.

The materials for this study were based on 32 variables which were selected from masters' thesis, doctoral dissertation and articles from Journals of the Korean Academy of Nursing.

The classification consisted of 5 variables groups and 32 variables. In terms of effect size on risk, variables which were significant included psychological variables (0.668), socio-cultural variables (0.511), family environmental variables (0.405), school environmental variables (0.221), and personal characteristics variables (0.147). In terms of effect size on protection, variables which were significant included personal characteristics variables (-1.107), psychological variables (-0.526), family environmental variables (-0.264), and school environmental variables (-0.155). In terms of effect size on risk variables, psychological variables (0.668) were highest. In terms of effect size on protective variables, the variable of personal characteristic (-1.107) was the highest.

While the results indicate possible risk and protective variables for suicidal ideation, but prediction is still difficult. Further study to compare adolescents with similar variables but no suicidal ideation and those with suicidal ideation is necessary.