Research Area
Yoga review of mental health measurement scales
Research Title
A systematic review of mental health measurement scales for evaluating the effects of mental health prevention interventions
Introduction
Depression, the most prevalent diagnosis of mental health problems, currently represents one of the leading causes of disability globally,1 and the number of people living with a common mental health problem (defined by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence as depression and anxiety disorders) is increasing.2–4 Prevention of common mental health problems, such as depression, remain an important area of focus for improving public health and reducing demand on public services.
Abstract
Consistent and appropriate measurement is needed in order to improve understanding and evaluation of preventative interventions. This review aims to identify individual-level measurement tools used to evaluate mental health prevention interventions to inform harmonization of outcome measurement in this area.
Conclusion
There was little agreement in measurement tools used across mental health prevention studies, which may hinder comparison across studies. Future research on measurement properties and acceptability of measurements in applied and scientific settings could be explored. Further work on supporting researchers to decide on appropriate outcome measurement for prevention would be beneficial for the field.
