Developing a scale measuring perceived knowledge and skills dimensions for mental health promotion: a pilot test using a convenience sample
The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice
ISSN: 1755-6228
Article publication date: 14 March 2016
Abstract
Purpose
Against the background of rising mental health (MH) problems many practitioners and health programmers require tools to plan and implement mental health promotion (MHP). A Likert scale to measure Perceived Knowledge of Skills needed for MHP (PKSMHP) was developed and pilot tested. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
A convenience sample of leading personnel (n=106) in three settings (43 schools, 24 workplaces, 39 care facilities) was drawn in five European countries. A descriptive item analysis, an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and a scales’ performance analysis was adopted.
Findings
The validated PKSMHP scale included nine high-quality items measuring the knowledge level of three skills dimensions: MHP management/planning, MHP tools/methods/services and recognition/detection of MH problems. Taken together these can be seen to represent the overall type of skills needed for implementing MHP.
Originality/value
The short scale showed very good scale performance values in this pilot study. After further testing the scale might be used as a baseline assessment of MHP needs, as a building block for MHP training and organisational capacity building.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
There is no conflict of interest. This work is based on the EU project “MindHealth – Training for Mental Health Promotion” which was supported through the Lifelong Learning Programme. Agreement Number: No. 2009 [LLP/LdV/TOI/2009/IRL – 502]. For further details please visit www.mentalhealthpromotion.net/?i=training (8 February 2016). The authors acknowledge the work of the entire project team: Doris Bammer, Almut Bachinger, Katharina Resch, Nathalie Henke, Rena Hohenstein, Jörg Michel, Tilia Boussios, Merike Sisask, Zrinka Laido, Lauraliisa Mark, Pia Solin, Maarit Lassander, Donal McAnaney, Isabelle Jeffares, and Frank Cuneen.
Citation
Lang, G., Stengård, E. and Wynne, R. (2016), "Developing a scale measuring perceived knowledge and skills dimensions for mental health promotion: a pilot test using a convenience sample", The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 10-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-02-2015-0005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited