Recent Stressful Life Events (SLE) and Adolescent Mental Health: Initial Validation of the LEIA, a New Checklist for SLE Assessment According to Their Severity, Interpersonal, and Dependent Nature

Abstract

The main aim of the present study was to develop and validate a checklist for adolescents, the Life Events Inventory for Adolescents (LEIA), for screening stressful life events (SLEs) of different nature (major–minor, dependent–independent, and personal–interpersonal). The LEIA was administered together with another SLE checklist (Escala de Acontecimientos Vitales [Life Events Scale], EAV), and with measures of life satisfaction and externalizing and internalizing symptoms. The results showed that the kappa and the percentage agreement reliability indices were adequate. Regarding validity evidences, the correlations found between the LEIA and the EAV ranged from .65 to .69, and between the LEIA and the psychopathological symptoms ranged from .26 to .38. Specifically, major dependent noninterpersonal SLEs were the best predictors of externalizing psychopathology; while major independent noninterpersonal SLEs were the best predictors of internalizing symptoms and low life satisfaction. To conclude, the LEIA could be considered an adequate checklist to screen for SLEs in adolescents.