Initial evidence suggests that the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) is valid and reliable in general youth populations; however, its psychometric properties in specific subgroups are less established. The primary objective was to test for measurement invariance of the 12-item WHODAS 2.0 in an epidemiological sample of youth aged 15 to 19 years with and without physical or mental conditions. Using data from 1,851 youth in the Canadian Community Health Survey–Mental Health, invariance was tested using multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis. Within-domain item correlations were significant and ordinal coefficient alphas were .91, .94, .93, and .92 for the healthy control, physical, mental, and comorbid groups, respectively. Partial measurement invariance was demonstrated for the WHODAS 2.0, with evidence of noninvariance for item residuals and factor variances related to cognition and participation. While these domain-specific comparisons may be biased, valid comparisons of overall disability across subgroups of youth can be made with confidence.

The challenges of living with cancer can compound the normative stresses of navigating emerging adulthood and have long-term psychiatric consequences. However, there is a lack of information on the mental health services required by this potentially vulnerable group of young people. This study estimated the prevalence of mental disorder among emerging adults (EAs) with cancer and examined their perceived needs for mental health care. Data from 5,590 individuals (15–29 years) who participated in the Canadian Community Health Survey—Mental Health were used in the analyses. The prevalence of mood or substance use disorder among those with cancer ( n = 42) was 42.9% compared to 32.2% among controls. EAs with cancer had higher odds of reporting unmet perceived needs for mental health care, OR = 7.72, 95% CI [1.85, 28.57]. This suggests an opportunity to improve future health services aimed at addressing the mental health care needs for EAs with cancer and potentially, other long-term chronic conditions.