Southeastern Rural Mental Health Research Center - Standardized Research Designs
Selection of Core Instruments for standardization and factor analyses: Oltmanns and Wilson have recommended a core set of instruments to use in all of the Center's studies. The task of identifying a set of core instruments has been undertaken for two reasons: 1) to facilitate comparisons of findings across Center studies, and 2) in order to pool data from several SRMHRC studies to provide a sufficiently large sample to allow for a comparison of the reliability and validity of the instruments for rural whites and African Americans. Comparisons will be made with published norms to determine whether both white and African American rural individuals have similar response patterns. SRMHRC conducts statistical analyses on common data using different instruments and will consider measurement changes for those instruments where construct validity and cross-group differences are potentially serious concerns. Such evaluations will continue on different instruments as SRMHRC gathers additional data. In time, this work will allow the Center will design its own measures using appropriate standardization procedures to ensure cultural validity as a future area of development.
A current listing of these instruments is below. The recommended instruments do not disoblige investigators from carefully considering the most appropriate instruments for each study undertaken; however, investigators are asked to evaluate carefully whether core instruments can be appropriately utilized in their investigations instead of alternative measures. Newly identified instruments are compared with those currently in the core set and are considered for inclusion. All evaluated instruments and information about validity, reliability, appropriate utilization, and administration are in the SRMHRC instrument file and available to SRMHRC researchers.
A. Core Assessment Instruments
The SRMHRC Executive Committee has recommended several assessment instruments to be used whenever appropriate in SRMHRC research. The purpose of using core instruments is to facilitate the central database and to permit ready comparison of findings between studies. This recommendation does not excuse investigators from careful consideration of the most appropriate instrumentation conceptually and methodologically for each study undertaken. However, investigators are asked to evaluate carefully whether core instruments can be appropriately utilized in their investigations. Decisions about specific instruments might be aided by the Assessment Reviews that have been prepared for the SRMHRC. These reviews cover the psychometric properties of each instrument, other scales that have been used to measure the same construct(s), and population issues that might inform decisions about the suitability of a test.
Core instruments are summarized in the following list. Copies of the instruments are in the instrument file. While some instruments are particularly appropriate for use with clinical populations, others are more appropriate for general community sample s. There are instruments that depend on use by experienced clinicians while lay persons can complete others. The choice of instrument will depend on the goals of the study.
The following Core instruments, together with numerous other instruments, are kept in an instrument file. The instrument file is described in the subsequent section.
- Symptoms of Psychopathology/Structured and Semi-structured interviews SCID: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (broad coverage of Axis I disorders in adults, for use by experienced clinicians) Prime MD: Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (very short questionnaire and clinician evaluation guide, used by primary care physicians to screen for mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, somatoform disorders, and alcoholism) DISC: Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (broad coverage of disorders in childhood, for use by experienced clinicians) CIDI: Composite International Diagnostic Interview (broad coverage of Axis I disorders in adults, for use by lay interviewers) ASI: Addiction Severity Index (semi-structured interview with broad coverage of personal and family problems associated with substance use disorder)
- Symptoms of Psychopathology/Rating scales BPRS: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale CBCL: Child Behavior Checklist Hamilton: Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression PANNS: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale
- Symptoms of Psychopathology/Questionnaires and Self-Report Inventories BSI: Brief Symptom Inventory CES-D: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale BDI: Beck Depression Inventory BAI: Beck Anxiety Inventory MAST: Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test
- Level of Social Functioning and Disability/Rating Scales and Self-Report Inventory SAS-SR: Social Adjustment Scale--Self-Report Version SLOF: Specific Level of Functioning
- Family Relationships, Social Networks, and Social Support/Interviews and Questionnaires FBIS: Family Burden Interview Scale (measures consequences faced by those caring for people with chronic mental disorders) FSS: Family Satisfaction Scale (shore questionnaire)
- Racial and Ethnic Identity *Race of client or interviewee, Census Bureau Definition MIBI: Robert Sellers Questionnaire
- Consumer Satisfaction MSIP MSIP Consumer Satisfaction Tool
- Rurality *Home Zip code *Provider Zip code
- Provider Characteristics Race CMHS Core Human Resources Data Set Professional Discipline Setting
*Data must be collected in all studies
B. Instrument Files
The SRMHRC Instrument File is stored in the Access database O:\Instruments\ Instruments.mdb. The Administrative Coordinator is responsible for updating this file. Investigators should submit copies of all instruments used in their studies for inclusion in this data set as well as information regarding cost of instrument and procedures required for using it.
To add an instrument into the database, follow these instructions:
1. Go down to the very bottom of the instrument list. You will see a blank row. 2. Enter your new instrument in that row, putting the instrument information into the appropriate columns. 3. Go to the beginning of the database and entirely block the instrument name column. 4. Next go to the toolbar. 5. Click on the Sort Ascending icon, which has an A on top and a Z on the bottom. 6. Now your instrument is in the right place, so click on Save.
Location: The instruments are located in two places: a drawer in the file cabinet and in an instrument book. The drawer is marked "Instruments" and is located in the file room. The instrument book (Compendium of Instruments from Study Sites) is white with colored dividers and is located in the file cabinet.
Searching: If you are looking for a particular instrument, check the SRMHRC database first to see if the instrument you seek is already in the building. To search the database for an instrument, go into O:\loosefls\instrum O:\Instruments\ Instruments.mdb. The instruments are listed alphabetically under the instrument name column. After you have found the instrument in the database, go to the corresponding Location column to find out whether the instrument is in the book or in the file cabinet. The book is arranged in sections and the instruments on file are arranged alphabetically.
If you are looking for files to use on a project, the best thing to do is customize the way you sort the database. For example, if you want to find instruments to use for severe mental illness, it is easier if all instruments pertaining to severe mental illness are grouped together. To do this, block both the Field and Domain columns entirely. Then click the Sort Ascending icon on the toolbar. You can sort by field, domain, instrument name, abbreviation, copyright, site, or location. You can sort using any combination of these. Simply block the desired column or columns and sort ascending.