Description

The Youth Personal Balance Tool (YPBT) is a strength-based, holistic, and youth-friendly self-assessment developed by the Fresno American Indian Health Project (FAIHP) Youth Council. The tool is grounded in the Medicine Wheel framework, which emphasizes balance across mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. The YPBT was adapted from an unpublished Adult Personal Balance Tool created by Alan Rabideau and Shannon CrossBear, and was substantially revised by Native youth to better reflect their lived experiences. The YPBT consists of 20 items (five per quadrant of the Medicine Wheel) and provides a culturally grounded framework for youth to assess their overall balance and well-being. It has been used in prevention, evaluation, and community-based research to support Indigenous youth resilience, identity, and healing.

AI/AN Communities where the measure has been used

Fresno, CA. Northern Plains tribal youth.

Demographics of AI/AN participants where the scale has been used

  • Native youth ages 12–18 involved in the Fresno Native Youth Council and community GONA events
  • American Indian youth ages 13–24, recruited from nine tribal districts on a Northern Plains reservation

Notes on adaptations or modifications

  1. Adapted from the unpublished Adult Personal Balance Tool (20 items) to create a youth-relevant version. Youth Council members revised nearly all items to ensure cultural and age relevance (19 of 20 items changed).
  2. Visual design, instructions, and traditional teachings descriptions were modified to align with the GONA curriculum.
  3. Retained the four quadrants of the Medicine Wheel (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual), with 5 items each.

Modality and administration

Self-report; administered in paper-and-pencil form or as digital survey in individual and group settings. The tool includes a visual component for self-reflection. It also serves as a teaching activity and reflection exercise rather than solely as a data collection instrument.

Scoring

Respondents rate each of the 20 items on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not at all, 5 = very). Scores are organized into four quadrants (mental, physical, emotional, spiritual), each consisting of five items. Results can be plotted on a Medicine Wheel diagram, allowing youth to visualize areas of balance and areas needing attention.

Psychometric evidence

Barraza et al. (2016) described face validity and content validity established through extensive youth council adaptation, piloting, and feedback. Further validation work is needed.

Citation(s)

Rabideau, A., & CrossBear, S. (2015, May 27). Adult Personal Balance Tool. Unpublished presentation. [Original unpublished citation]

Fresno, CA. Northern Plains tribal youth.

Barraza, R., Bartgis, J., & Fresno Native Youth Council. (2016). Indigenous youth-developed self-assessment: The Personal Balance Tool. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, 23(3), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.5820/aian.2303.2016.1
– Gray, J. S., Schrader, L., Isaacs, D. S., Smith, M. K., & Bender, N. M. (2019). Wac’inyeya: Hope among American Indian youth. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, 26(2), 151–171. https://doi.org/10.5820/aian.2602.2019.151

Note: The included citations are not exhaustive, but represent the examples we had access to. If you are an original author or have other work that could be included here, please contact us.