Designing questionnaires and scales in mental health research

Questionnaires

Any instrument for eliciting information in a standard way, may include closed and open-ended questions

Scales

Measuring a specific construct or constructs - need to show items hang together theoretically and statistically to measure the construct in question

What are scales used for in mental health research?

•Diagnosis and symptom identification

•Measuring psychological processes (e.g. metacognition)

•Measuring outcomes (e.g. quality of life, satisfaction with treatment)

•Overcoming communication problems (e.g. visual analogue)

What is a self-report questionnaire or scale

Where an individual completes a questionnaire about themself

What is a interviewer-administered questionnaire or scale

Where a clinician or researcher goes through questions with you

What is a informant-based questionnaire or scale

Where someone who knows the person completes the questionnaire or is interviewed

Development Process of own measure

•Identify construct(s) to be measured in a scale/scope of a questionnaire

•Literature review – check if any scales already exist

•Consult stakeholders iteratively

•Write questions and select response type

•Pilot – refine cycle

•Reliability and validity study

•Refine and study further if necessary

Sources of bias

Boredom, translation, presentation, acquisition

Presentation biases

Social desirability biases up to outright deception (faking ‘good’ and ‘bad’)

Acquiescence bias

Keep ticking yes/the same place on the page : reverse scoring may help