Measuring Adolescents’ Situated Recognition of Human Rights in Mental Health: Development and Psychometric Validation of the Know and Act Scale

Background Adolescents’ access to mental health care depends partly on their ability to recognize when rights related to emotional distress, confidentiality, participation, non-discrimination, continuity of care, and support are respected or violated. This study developed and evaluated the Know and Act Scale , a vignette-based instrument designed to assess situated recognition of mental health-related human rights among Colombian adolescents. Methods An instrumental, cross-sectional psychometric study was conducted in urban, semi-urban, and rural educational contexts in Colombia. Scale development included theoretical construction, Delphi expert consensus, cognitive interviews, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and ll consistency testing. The exploratory sample included 860 adolescents, and the confirmatory sample included 145 adolescents. Results Exploratory factor analysis supported a three-domain structure: Right to Feel, Right to Participate, and Right to Be Helped, which explained 73.06% of the variance. Internal consistency was good for the overall scale (α = .869; ω = .894). Confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate comparative fit, supporting the proposed structure in an independent sample. Conclusions The Know and Act Scale offers a theoretically grounded and psychometrically supported tool for assessing adolescents’ situated recognition of mental health-related human rights. It may support research, school-based mental health promotion, and rights-informed care in adolescent populations.