Loss of activities and its effect on the well-being of substance abusers

Validation of the WHO-5 Well-Being Scale among Adolescents in Ghana: Evidence-Based Assessment of the Internal and External Structure of the Measure

The WHO-5 well-being measure happens to be one of the most renowned measures of subjective well-being across the globe. Although the instrument has been calibrated in different countries, its psychometric properties and applicability in Africa, especially in Ghana, are not known. In this study, the WHO-5 well-being scale was validated among adolescents in Ghana by assessing the validity evidence of the measure based on the internal and external structure. In particular, the study examined the (1) dimensionality of the WHO-5 well-being scale, (2) quality of the items (including the scale functioning) for the measure, and (3) criterion validity of the well-being measure. Using a survey approach, 997 adolescents were recruited in secondary schools across the northern belt of Ghana. The study found a one-factor structure of the scale, which supports the factor solution of the original measure. The items were found to be of high quality, except for one item. The WHO-5 well-being measure was found to have sufficient evidence regarding convergent and divergent validity. The outcome of this validation study provides support for the validity and reliability of the WHO-5 well-being scale's utility and use among adolescents in Ghana. The study encourages further validation studies to be conducted in Ghana to widen the reproducibility of the WHO-5 well-being measure.

Psychometric properties of the Five-item World Health Organization Well-being Index used in mental health services: Protocol for a systematic review

AIMS

To synthesize evidence of the psychometric properties of the Five-item World Health Organization Well-being Index in mental health settings and critically appraise the methodologies of the included studies.

DESIGN

Protocol for a systematic psychometric review.

METHODS

The review protocol has been registered in the International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews. The bibliographic databases MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science will be searched for relevant studies. The psychometric properties of each study will be evaluated according to the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurements Instruments.

DISCUSSION

The results of our psychometric review will synthesize the psychometric properties of the Five-item World Health Organization Well-being Index in mental health settings and identify possible gaps in the literature regarding methodological quality and its reliability, validity, and responsiveness to change.

IMPACT

The evaluation of patient well-being is important, and the Five-item World Health Organization Well-being Index is an increasingly used patient-reported outcome measure. It is simple to collect, free to use, and consists of five questions using positive health statements. Although the number of studies assessing the validity, reliability, and responsiveness of the questionnaire is increasing worldwide, there is a need to summarize the existing evidence of the psychometric properties of this questionnaire. The proposed study's findings will contribute to future research recommendations and help midwives and nurses in different settings pick an effective, appropriate questionnaire to evaluate patient well-being.

The WHO-5 Well-Being Index: a systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

The 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is among the most widely used questionnaires assessing subjective psychological well-being. Since its first publication in 1998, the WHO-5 has been translated into more than 30 languages and has been used in research studies all over the world. We now provide a systematic review of the literature on the WHO-5.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search for literature on the WHO-5 in PubMed and PsycINFO in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. In our review of the identified articles, we focused particularly on the following aspects: (1) the clinimetric validity of the WHO-5; (2) the responsiveness/sensitivity of the WHO-5 in controlled clinical trials; (3) the potential of the WHO-5 as a screening tool for depression, and (4) the applicability of the WHO-5 across study fields.

RESULTS

A total of 213 articles met the predefined criteria for inclusion in the review. The review demonstrated that the WHO-5 has high clinimetric validity, can be used as an outcome measure balancing the wanted and unwanted effects of treatments, is a sensitive and specific screening tool for depression and its applicability across study fields is very high.

CONCLUSIONS

The WHO-5 is a short questionnaire consisting of 5 simple and non-invasive questions, which tap into the subjective well-being of the respondents. The scale has adequate validity both as a screening tool for depression and as an outcome measure in clinical trials and has been applied successfully across a wide range of study fields.

The Integrating Theory, Evidence and Action (ITEA) Method: A Procedure for Helping Practitioners Translate Theory and Research into Action

Introduction

The aim of this article is to describe and explain a new method for integrating theory and evidence that enables practitioners to translate evidence into action applied in their practice.

Method

A new multiple methods procedure called the Integrating Theory, Evidence and Action method is described. It is a mixed method that progresses through seven distinct steps: clinical question, framework, identification, deconstruction, analysis, reconstruction, and transfer/utilization. An example of using this method to review evidence around occupational therapy with people recovering from alcohol misuse and/or abuse is provided.

Findings

This method highlights the importance of theory, tests the empirical strength of theories, includes diverse forms of evidence, and encourages the integration of knowledge within clinical practice.

Conclusion

The Integrating Theory, Evidence and Action method is accessible and useful to practitioners and will support their efforts to make their practice evidence based. Current methods of evidence-based practice focus mostly on research evidence (particularly quantitative evidence); however, research is only one of the ways of knowing that practitioners draw upon to guide their practice. This method enables occupational therapists to integrate theory, evidence, and practice in a coherent and translatable way.

Which factors influence psychiatric diagnosing in substance abuse treatment?

Background

The importance of diagnosing and treating co-occurring psychiatric disorders among substance abusers in treatment has received much attention. The aim of this study was to investigate to which extent co-occurring psychiatric disorders are diagnosed in a clinical population of substance abusers, and which factors (including the use of MINI-Plus) that influence the diagnosing of co-occurring psychiatric disorders.

Methods

Patients (N = 275) who received inpatient substance use treatment in five different units in Northern Norway participated in the study. The patients’ clinicians gave information on diagnoses given during the stay in the units, and whether a systematic diagnostic tool was used for the diagnosing (MINI-Plus). Predictors of independent co-occurring psychiatric disorders were examined utilizing hierarchical regression analysis.

Results

One third of the patients were given an independent psychiatric diagnosis. Less than half of the patients were assessed using a diagnostic tool. The main predictor of diagnosing of independent psychiatric disorders was the use of the diagnostic tool MINI-Plus. Younger patients and patients that used less alcohol, were given independent psychiatric diagnoses more frequently.

Conclusions

The number of co-occurring independent psychiatric diagnoses was lower compared to other studies using standardized diagnostic tools. The low number of patients assessed by such a tool, and the strong relationship between the use of such a tool and the diagnosing of co-occurring psychiatric disorders, suggest that the implementation of standardized diagnostic tools should be addressed in the units. Generally, patients suffering from substance use disorders should be systematically screened for other psychiatric disorders, in order to improve their treatment and health.

Review of the application of positive psychology to substance use, addiction, and recovery research

Advances in positive psychology have grown exponentially over the past decade. The addictions field has experienced its own growth in a positive direction, embodied by the recovery movement. Despite parallel developments, and great momentum on both sides, there has been little crosspollination. This article introduces positive psychology and the recovery movement, describes the research on positive psychology in the addictions, and discusses future avenues of theory, research, and intervention based on a positive-psychology framework. A systematic review of positive psychology applied to substance use, addiction, and recovery found nine studies which are discussed according to the following themes: theoretical propositions, character strengths and drinking, positive psychology and recovery, positive interventions, and addiction: feeling good and feeling bad. The current scholarship is scant, but diverse, covering a wide range of populations (adults, adolescents, those in and out of treatment), topics (character strengths, recovery, positive affect), and addictive behaviors (work addiction, cigarette smoking, and alcohol use disorders). There is diversity, too, in country of origin, with work originating in the U.S., U.K., Poland, and Spain. The rigorous application of the lens, tools, and approaches of positive psychology to addiction research generally, and to the aims of the recovery movement specifically, has potential for the development of theory and innovation in prevention and intervention. Further, because the work in positive psychology has primarily focused on microsystems, it may be primed to make contributions to the predominantly macrosystems focus of the recovery movement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).