scholarly journals Validating Screening Questionnaires for Internalizing and Externalizing Disorders against Clinical Interviews in 8 to 17-Year-Old Syrian Refugee Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona McEwen ◽  
Patricia Moghames ◽  
Tania Bosqui ◽  
Vanessa Kyrillos ◽  
Nicolas Chehade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Externalizing Disorders ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Refugee Children ◽  
Screening Questionnaires ◽  
Internalizing And Externalizing

Syrian children affected by the civil war are at increased risk of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and externalizing behaviour problems. Screening questionnaires are designed to identify individual children who require further assessment and treatment, and also estimate the need for mental health services in a population. However, few questionnaires have been rigorously tested in this population. This study examined the reliability and validity of questionnaires for depression (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children, CES-DC, self-report, 10-item version), anxiety (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders, SCARED, self-report, 18-item version), PTSD (Child PTSD Symptom Scale, CPSS, self-report), and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, SDQ, parent-report version) in a population sample of 8-17 year old Syrian children living in Informal Tented Settlements (ITS) in the Beqaa region of Lebanon. In addition, several ways of measuring functional impairment due to mental health problems were compared. These included self- and parent-report questionnaires (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule, WHODAS-Child; SDQ Impact supplement, parent-report only) and an interviewer rating of severity (Clinical Global Impression–severity, CGI-s). Questionnaires were translated into Arabic and modified based on pilot testing with Syrian children. Responses from N=1006 children and caregivers were used for analysis, a subset of whom had additional clinical interview data (MINI KID + clinical judgement; N=119). The self-report questionnaires showed good internal consistency reliability with alpha>.80, though the parent-report SDQ and WHODAS-Child fell below this level. In terms of validity, the SDQ externalizing scale performed well in differentiating children with conduct problems from those without and it was possible to achieve a fair balance between sensitivity (82%) and specificity (71%). The CES-DC, CPSS, SDQ total difficulties, and WHODAS-Child (selfreport) achieved an acceptable level of validity, though it was harder to achieve a good balance between sensitivity and specificity. In most cases, at least 50% of those screening positive were false positives, meaning that a more in-depth follow up assessment would be required if these tools were used as screeners in a clinical setting. Furthermore, correctionwould be needed if used to estimate prevalence rates for mental disorders in this population. There was moderate convergent validity between measures of functional impairment, with self-report WHODAS-Child showing greater agreement with interviewer ratings when compared to parent-report measures (WHODAS and SDQ Impact). Measuring functional impairment and distress due to mental health problems should help to differentiate children with clinically significant mental health problems from those with subthreshold problems; however, more work will be required to establish how helpful the tools used here are in achieving that aim.

Mental Health Problems and Help-Seeking among Adolescents

2021 ◽  
pp. 189-202
Author(s):  
E.V. Rezun ◽  
◽  
H.R. Slobodskaya ◽  
N.B. Semenova ◽  
T.O. Rippinen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽  
Seeking Help

The mental health problems among adolescents have long-lasting effects throughout life. However, research evidence indicates that only 10–30% of adolescents who needed mental health care had received specialized help. The present study reports the prevalence of mental health problems and help-seeking among adolescents, taking into account gender and age differences. The sample included 1752 adolescents (47 % boys,) aged 12-17 years. Data were collected on in two Siberian cities (Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk) using an international self-report questionnaire developed for the school-based Eurasian Child Mental Health Study. Participants were recruited from 18 schools, students completed questionnaires anonymously during school lessons. Statistical analysis included analysis of variance (ANOVA), multiple regression analysis, and crosstabs using a chi-squared test. The level of emotional and behavioral problems in Siberian adolescents was slightly higher than that found in European and Asian countries. Twenty three percent of adolescents reported frequent headaches (at least once a week), 11 % reported frequent abdominal pain and 14% suffered from frequent sleep disturbances (3–5 times a week or more). Girls reported a significantly higher level of problems than boys, with the largest gender differences for emotional problems, recurrent pains and sleep disturbances. Weekly consumption of alcohol and daily use of nicotine among boys was more common than among girls (3 % and 6 %, respectively), whereas less frequent use of alcohol and nicotine was commoner in girls (16 %) than in boys (10 %); 7 % of boys and girls had tried drugs at least once. Suicidal thoughts were reported by 22 % of adolescents, 6 % reported suicide attempts and 6 % reported repeated self-harm. One third of adolescents considered seeking outside help and 9 % had actually done so. Girls reported more help-seeking than boys; older girls sought help more often than younger and middle-aged ones. Around one third of adolescents sought help from their relatives; 26 % from friends, the Internet or other non-professional sources; 5 % reported seeking help from a doctor or nurse, and 3 % from a psychologist. The most important independent predictors of seeking help were emotional symptoms, suicidal ideation and hyperactivity/inattention. The results suggest a need for future investigation of the factors associated with help-seeking behavior among adolescents. It is also necessary to develop mental health promotion programs for adolescents, interventions to improve mental health literacy and access to mental health care.

scholarly journals Online Mental Health Assessments of COVID-19 Patients in South Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung Hyun Lee ◽  
Dayoung Lee ◽  
Soyoen Hyun ◽  
Ji Sun Hong ◽  
Chang-Hoon Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Patient Health Questionnaire ◽  
Health Questionnaire ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Post Traumatic

Experiences of infectious diseases cause stressful and traumatic life events, hence, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients could suffer from various mental health problems requiring psychological support services. This study investigates the severity of mental health problems among confirmed COVID-19 patients. From March to November 2020, we collected the data from 118 COVID-19 patients who voluntarily participated in the National Center for Disaster Trauma's online mental health assessment consisting of self-report scales like Primary Care of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder screen (PC-PTSD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), and P4 Suicidality Screener. For control, 116 other disaster-experienced and 386 non-COVID-19-experienced participants were recruited. The COVID-19 patients showed more severe symptoms including post-traumatic symptoms, depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms than control groups across all four screening scales (p < 0.001). Regarding high-risk, COVID-19 patients had an increased association with high-risk compared to the comparison groups (PC-PTSD: OR = 24.16, 95% CI = 13.52–43.16 p < 0.001; PHQ-9: OR = 14.45, 95% CI = 8.29–25.19, p < 0.001; GAD-7: OR=20.71, 95% CI = 10.74–39.96, p < 0.001; PHQ-15: OR = 5.65, 95% CI = 3.44–9.25, p < 0.001; P4: OR = 14.67, 95% CI = 8.95–25.07, p < 0.001). This study's results imply that there is a high-risk of overall mental health problems, especially stronger associations of post-traumatic stress symptoms, in COVID-19 patients. These findings help inform practitioners about the psychological responses to COVID-19 experiences and to prepare appropriate interventions and services for the incremental number of confirmed cases.

scholarly journals Cohort Profile: Biological Pathways of Risk and Resilience in Syrian Refugee Children (BIOPATH)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona McEwen ◽  
Cassandra Popham ◽  
Patricia Moghames ◽  
Demelza Smeeth ◽  
Bernadette de Villiers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Refugee Children ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Child Gender ◽  
Syrian Refugee ◽  
Hair Samples

The BIOPATH cohort was established to explore the interplay of psychosocial and biological factors in the development of resilience and mental health problems in Syrian refugee children. Based in Lebanon, a middle-income country significantly impacted by the refugee crisis, it is the first such cohort of refugees in the Middle East. Families were recruited from informal tented settlements in the Beqaa region using purposive cluster sampling. At baseline (October 2017–January 2018), N=3,190 individuals participated (n=1,595 child-caregiver dyads; child gender, 52.7% female; mean [SD] age=11.44 [2.44] years, range=6-19]). Re-participation rate at one year follow up was 63%. Individual interviews were conducted with children and primary caregivers and biological samples collected from children. Measures include: (i) children’s well-being and mental health problems (using tools validated against clinical interviews in a subsample of the cohort); (ii) psychosocial risk and protective factors at the level of the individual (e.g., coping strategies), family (e.g., parent-child relationship), community (e.g., collective efficacy), and wider context (e.g., services); (iv) saliva samples for genetic and epigenetic (methylation) analyses; (v) hair samples to measure cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA] and testosterone. This cohort profile provides details about sampling and recruitment, data collection and measures, demographic data, attrition and potential bias, key findings on resilience and mental health problems in children, and strengths and limitations of the cohort. Researchers interested in accessing data should contact Professor Michael Pluess at Queen Mary University of London, UK (e-mail: [email protected]).

scholarly journals Validation of the Strengths and Difficulties Self-Report in Norwegian Sign Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Margaret Aanondsen ◽  
Thomas Jozefiak ◽  
Kerstin Heiling ◽  
Tormod Rimehaug
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Strengths And Difficulties ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

Abstract The majority of studies on mental health in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children report a higher level of mental health problems. Inconsistencies in reports of prevalence of mental health problems have been found to be related to a number of factors such as language skills, cognitive ability, heterogeneous samples as well as validity problems caused by using written measures designed for typically hearing children. This study evaluates the psychometric properties of the self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in Norwegian Sign Language (NSL; SDQ-NSL) and in written Norwegian (SDQ-NOR). Forty-nine DHH children completed the SDQ-NSL as well as the SDQ-NOR in randomized order and their parents completed the parent version of the SDQ-NOR and a questionnaire on hearing and language-related information. Internal consistency was examined using Dillon–Goldstein’s rho, test–retest reliability using intraclass correlations, construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and partial least squares structural equation modeling. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were established as acceptable to good. CFA resulted in a best fit for the proposed five-factor model for both versions, although not all fit indices reached acceptable levels. The reliability and validity of the SDQ-NSL seem promising even though the validation was based on a small sample size.

scholarly journals Revising the self-report strengths and difficulties questionnaire for cross-country comparisons of adolescent mental health problems: the SDQ-R

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. L. Duinhof ◽  
K. M. Lek ◽  
M. E. de Looze ◽  
A. Cosma ◽  
J. Mazur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Measurement Model ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Emotional Symptoms ◽  
Cross Country

Abstract Aims The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has been used in many epidemiological studies to assess adolescent mental health problems, but cross-country comparisons of the self-report SDQ are scarce and so far failed to find a good-fitting, common, invariant measurement model across countries. The present study aims to evaluate and establish a version of the self-report SDQ that allows for a valid cross-country comparison of adolescent self-reported mental health problems. Methods Using the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, the measurement model and measurement invariance of the 20 items of the self-report SDQ measuring adolescent mental health problems were evaluated. Nationally representative samples of 11-, 13- and 15-year old adolescents (n = 33 233) from seven countries of different regions in Europe (Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia) were used. Results In order to establish a good-fitting and common measurement model, the five reverse worded items of the self-report SDQ had to be removed. Using this revised version of the self-report SDQ, the SDQ-R, partial measurement invariance was established, indicating that latent factor means assessing conduct problems, emotional symptoms, peer relationships problems and hyperactivity-inattention problems could be validly compared across the countries in this study. Results showed that adolescents in Greece scored relatively low on almost all problem subscales, whereas adolescents in Poland scored relatively high on almost all problem subscales. Adolescents in the Netherlands reported the most divergent profile of mental health problems with the lowest levels of conduct problems, low levels of emotional symptoms and peer relationship problems, but the highest levels of hyperactivity-inattention problems. Conclusions With six factor loadings being non-invariant, partial measurement invariance was established, indicating that the 15-item SDQ-R could be used in our cross-country comparison of adolescent mental health problems. To move the field of internationally comparative research on adolescent mental health forward, studies should test the applicability of the SDQ-R in other countries in- and outside Europe, continue to develop the SDQ-R as a cross-country invariant measure of adolescent mental health, and examine explanations for the found country differences in adolescent mental health problems.

scholarly journals Cross-lagged model of bullying victimization and mental health problems in children with autism in middle to older childhood

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 136236132094751
Author(s):  
Geovanna Rodriguez ◽  
Kim Drastal ◽  
Sigan L Hartley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Bullying Victimization ◽  
Autism Symptoms ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Being Bullied ◽  
Internalizing And Externalizing

Youth with autism spectrum conditions have been shown to be at an increased risk for bullying victimization. The overall aim of this study was to identify factors associated with increased risk for bullying victimization in youth with autism during middle childhood to early adolescence (aged 5–12 years) and to explore the potential time-ordered associations between bullying victimization and mental health problems 12 months later. The average age of the youth with autism was 7.90 years ( SD = 2.33), 86% were male, 34.6% had an intellectual disability, and 84% were White, non-Hispanic. Youth with autism who experienced bullying victimization (vs no victimization) were older in age, had more severe autism symptoms, and higher levels of internalizing and externalizing mental health problems at study onset. Using two cross-lagged structural equation models, the associations between maternal report of youth bullying victimization and teacher report of youth mental health problems using two waves of data were tested. Internalizing and externalizing mental health problems at Time 1 did not relate to change in likelihood of being bullied 1 year later. In contrast, bullying victimization at Time 1 was associated with an increase in internalizing mental health problems ( β = 0.24, p < 0.05). Lay Abstract Youth with autism spectrum disorders are disproportionately at risk for bullying victimization compared to typically developing children and adolescents. While internalizing and externalizing mental health problems have been linked to victimization experiences, few studies have examined the longitudinal effects bullying victimization experiences may have on youth mental health outcomes. The present study investigated longitudinal associations between bullying victimization and mental health problems in a sample of children with autism in middle childhood to early adolescence (aged 5 to 12 years). Findings from our study suggest that youth with autism who experienced bullying victimization (versus no victimization) were older in age, had more severe autism symptoms, and higher levels of internalizing and externalizing mental health problems at study onset. Though externalizing mental health problems at study onset (Time 1) did not relate to change in the likelihood of being bullied one year later (Time 2), experiences of bullying victimization did relate to an increase in parent reports of internalizing mental health problems. This study expanded on previous cross-sectional studies by including two waves of data in a relatively large sample of youth with autism and highlights important information that may be helpful in adapting approaches to intervention at the individual level. Moreover, our findings support the need for bullying programs that may need to focus particular attention to subgroups of youth with autism who may be most at-risk for bullying victimization such as those with more autism symptoms and those with past experiences of victimization (given the chronic nature of bullying).

Young Adults Victimized as Children or Adolescents: Relationships Between Perpetrator Patterns, Poly-Victimization, and Mental Health Problems

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 2335-2357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Källström ◽  
Karin Hellfeldt ◽  
Kathryn H. Howell ◽  
Laura E. Miller-Graff ◽  
Sandra A. Graham-Bermann
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Dysfunctional Family ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Victims Of Violence ◽  
Forms Of Violence

Child and adolescent victims of violence are often exposed to more than one kind of physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment. Both individually and cumulatively, such victimizations have significant ramifications on mental health. Yet little is known about the relationships in which these different kinds of victimizations occur and how the relationship between the victim and perpetrators may influence later mental health. This retrospective, self-report study of a nationally representative sample of 2,500 young adults in Sweden examines associations between different types of victimization (including poly-victimization), the victim’s relationship to the perpetrator, and how these factors are related to current mental health. Results indicate differential patterns of abuse based on the perpetrator; parents were most likely to use physical aggression, whereas siblings typically perpetrated property crimes and partners committed sexual assault. Peers were the most likely perpetrator of both physical and verbal victimizations and also most often committed poly-victimization by subjecting youth to multiple forms of violence. While males were more likely to be victimized by peers, females were more likely to be victimized by parents, siblings, and partners. Significant positive relations were found for the amount of victimization by peers and mental health problems among both males and females. In addition, for females, higher amounts of youth victimization by parents and partners related to higher levels of mental health problems during young adulthood. Taken together, these results suggest that peer victimization presents the greatest risk for males, whereas dysfunctional family relationships are most detrimental to victimized females.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Mental Health Problems and Functional Impairment Among Active Component and National Guard Soldiers 3 and 12 Months Following Combat in Iraq

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L. Thomas ◽  
Joshua E. Wilk ◽  
Lyndon A. Riviere ◽  
Dennis McGurk ◽  
Carl A. Castro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Active Component ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
National Guard ◽  
Health Problems

scholarly journals Mental Health of Medical Workers in Japan during COVID-19: Relationships with Loneliness, Hope and Self-Compassion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Kotera ◽  
Akihoko Ozaki ◽  
Hirotomo Miyatake ◽  
Chie Tsunetoshi ◽  
Yoshitaka Nishikawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
General Population ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Self Compassion

Abstract The current pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has negatively impacted medical workers’ mental health in many countries including Japan. Although research identified poor mental health of medical workers in COVID-19, protective factors for their mental health remain to be appraised. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate relationships between mental health problems, loneliness, hope and self-compassion among Japanese medical workers, and compare with the general population. Online self-report measures regarding those four constructs were completed by 142 medical workers and 138 individuals in the general population. T-tests and multiple regression analysis were performed. Medical workers had higher levels of mental health problems and loneliness, and lower levels of hope and self-compassion than the general population. Loneliness was the strongest predictor of mental health problems in the medical workers. Findings suggest that Japanese medical workplaces may benefit from targeting workplace loneliness to protect staff mental health from the current crisis.

Predicting Psychological Characteristics by Smartphone Usage Behaviors

2015 ◽  
pp. 424-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusong Gao ◽  
Minglong Lei ◽  
Tingshao Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Mental State ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychological Characteristics ◽  
Health State ◽  
The World

In recent years, smartphones become rapidly popular across the world. Meanwhile, since mental health problems became more serious, psychological characteristics including personalities and mental health state draw more researchers' attention. Generally, self-report and interview are two mostly used techniques for assessing people's mental state or personality traits. In this chapter, we overviewed some researches that focused on accessing psychological characteristics by smartphone usage behaviors. Firstly, we discussed some previous researches analyzing smartphone usage behaviors and psychological characteristics, and further discussed typical research work predicting psychological characteristics based on smartphone usage behaviors. In these literatures, results indicated that most dimensions of users' mental state and personality traits could be identified from their smartphone usage fairly well.

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