Usability and Emotions of Mental Health Assessment Tools: Comparing Mobile App and Paper-and-Pencil Modalities

Background: Pregnancy is a time of increased vulnerability for the development of anxiety and depression. This study evaluated the psychological effect of isolation on antenatal women admitted with COVID-19 disease.Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted at Government medical college Kozhikode from 1 November 2020 to 31 January 2021. One hundred antenatal women with COVID-19 disease admitted in isolation ward in quarantine were randomly selected. Clinical and demographic data collected at the time of admission. After one week of admission, mental health assessment done using following mental health assessment tools. They were general anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7), perinatal anxiety screening scale (PASS), patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).Results: Out of the 100 women selected, 74 responded with the questionnaires. All of them were educated, 62% studied up to plus two. Majority from joint family contributed 68.9% and 85.1% were home makers. Mean age was 26 years. Primigravidae were 48.6% and mean BMI of 25.71 kg/m2. Commonest medical comorbidity was diabetes mellitus present in 28.4%. Mental health assessment done using 3 sets of questionnaires, PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PASS showed that women in our study did not have any increased risk of depression, general anxiety or perinatal anxiety. Infact they reported of feeling safer and more comfortable at the hospital compared to home.Conclusions: Present study showed that antenatal women with COVID-19 disease admitted in hospital did not have any increased risk of general anxiety, depression or perinatal anxiety.

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

Conflict and Health ◽

10.1186/s13031-021-00408-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Brandon A. Kohrt ◽

Bonnie N. Kaiser

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Health Assessment ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Main Body ◽

Care Providers ◽

Mental Health Assessment ◽

Humanitarian Crises

Abstract 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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