Introduction to the special collection: developing valid psychological measures for populations impacted by humanitarian disasters

Rasmussen, Andrew; Jayawickreme, Nuwan

doi:10.1186/s13031-020-00260-6

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…( Charlson et al, 2019 ) There has also been increasing recognition of the particular importance of psychometrics in this field to facilitate the development of good quality questionnaires that can be administered by non-specialists in LAMICs. ( Rasmussen and Jayawickreme, 2020 )…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of mental health questionnaires in conflict-affected adult populations in low and middle income countries: A systematic review

Christy

Siriwardhana

Lohmann

et al. 2021

Journal of Migration and Health

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Highlights Quality is variable for conflict-affected populations’ mental health questionnaires We found moderate evidence for reliability and validity but none for responsiveness Equity in authorship and populations covered must be improved Research capacity in conflict-affected settings needs strengthening We recommend stronger use of conceptual frameworks and reporting standards

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of mental health questionnaires in conflict-affected adult populations in low and middle income countries: A systematic review

Christy

Siriwardhana

Lohmann

et al. 2021

Journal of Migration and Health

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“…One of the challenges for humanitarian organizations working in the field of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services is ensuring that the people who most need care and support are receiving it and that the services delivered are improving mental health and psychosocial wellbeing in a meaningful way. This Special Section on valid psychological assessments in Conflict and Health has explored a number of rigorous and cutting-edge approaches to questions of validity of MHPSS tools in humanitarian settings [ 24 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring mental health in humanitarian crises: a practitioner’s guide to validity

Kohrt

Kaiser

2021

Confl Health

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Background There are ongoing methodological advances in measuring mental health in humanitarian crises. This Special Section describes numerous innovations. Here we take a practitioner's view in understanding the key issues related to assessment of mental health in humanitarian contexts and how the innovations contribute to the field. Main body In this guide for practitioners, we address the following issues: (1) clarifying the intended purpose of conducting mental health assessment in humanitarian crises: why is this information collected and for what intended purposes?; (2) determining what type of tool should be selected and the types of psychometric properties that are important for tools serving this particular purpose; (3) when a validated tool is not available, considering how qualitative and quantitative methods should be used to generate information on validity; and finally, (4) how to report on validity and its implications for interpreting information for humanitarian practitioners, governments, care providers, and other stakeholders supporting people affected by humanitarian emergencies. Conclusion Ultimately, mental health assessment tools are not independent of the group with which they were designed, nor are the psychometric properties of the tools or their utility universal across purposes. Therefore, organizations and stakeholders will optimize their positive impact when choosing tools wisely, appropriately adapting and validating tools, and providing guidance on how to interpret those findings to best serve populations in need.

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“…One of the barriers to gathering the information required to develop appropriate services and supports for those affected by mental health problems in Sierra Leone is that there is currently no locally-appropriate tool to measure psychological distress. Ventevogel and Faiz [6], amongst others [7,8], have highlighted how the use of measures of mental health which have not been validated with the population with which they are used can create misleading findings, as they may give inflated estimates of distress as a result of conflating adaptive distress reactions with psychopathology. This has significant implications for the planning and provision of effective prevention and response services for those affected by mental health difficulties.…”

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confidence: 99%

The development of a contextually appropriate measure of psychological distress in Sierra Leone

et al. 2021

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Background Studies of psychological distress in Sierra Leone have typically used measures which were developed for use in other contexts, and which often have not been adapted or validated for use in Sierra Leone. This has resulted in a lack of reliable information about the patterns of psychological distress within the population, which is a barrier to the development of effective and appropriate mental health services. The aim of the study was to develop a locally-appropriate measure of psychological distress for Sierra Leone. Methods The new measure consists of two instruments: the Sierra Leone Psychological Distress Scale (SLPDS) and a gendered measure of ability to carry out daily tasks—a Function scale—as an indication of the severity of distress. A three-phase mixed methods exploratory sequential study was conducted. Phase 1 was item generation and testing, leading to the development of a set of potential items for both instruments. Phase 2 was a small pilot study (N = 202) leading to the selection of the final set of items for both measures. Phase 3 was a validation phase where the SLPDS and the Function scale were administered with a larger sample of 904 respondents. Item analysis was used to assess the internal consistency of the scales, and Exploratory Factor Analysis to explore the properties of the SLPDS. Results Exploratory factor analysis using the principal axis factoring with an oblique rotation identified a three-factor structure for the 18-item SLPDS. Internal consistency for the SLPDS (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.89) and three subscales was good (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.73). The internal reliability of the male and female versions of the Function scale was also found to be acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.90 for the female scale and 0.79 for the male scale). Conclusions Together the SLPD and Function scales provide a locally-validated tool which will enable government bodies and local and international non-governmental organisations in Sierra Leone to assess mental health and psychosocial needs. This will support both effective service provision and the evaluation of initiatives designed to improve mental health and psychosocial wellbeing.

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Introduction to the special collection: developing valid psychological measures for populations impacted by humanitarian disasters

Cited by 5 publications

References 21 publications

Quality of mental health questionnaires in conflict-affected adult populations in low and middle income countries: A systematic review

Quality of mental health questionnaires in conflict-affected adult populations in low and middle income countries: A systematic review

Measuring mental health in humanitarian crises: a practitioner’s guide to validity

The development of a contextually appropriate measure of psychological distress in Sierra Leone

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