Journal Article

Diverging perspectives on emerging mental health symptoms: Multi‐informant discrepancies and their associated determinants across the transition to adolescence in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

Mittal, Vijay A., Schaefer, Jonathan D., Martinez, Matias, Haase, Claudia M., Damme, Katherine S. F.

2026

Overview

What’s known? Reports of youth mental health from different informants (youth, caregivers, teachers) often show discrepancies. However, less is known about their systematic relationship with symptom types, reporter characteristics, and social contexts. What’s new? Youth self‐reports were typically higher than adults, a discrepancy that widens as they age, especially for inattention. These gaps are systematically associated with youth characteristics (e.g., being female), caregiver factors (e.g., depression), and social environments (e.g., family conflict). What’s relevant? Whom you ask about a youth's mental health profoundly matters. Reporter perspectives are not interchangeable. This choice can significantly impact research findings and is critical for the accurate and early detection of emerging mental health problems.