Adult Mental Health Indicators
Final adult mental health indicator set
The initial focus has been on indicators for adults and the national indicators were finalised December 2007. These indicators cover both positive mental health (mental well-being) as well as mental health problems and are structured under constructs (categories) of two types:
- High level constructs of mental health status — outcome measures.
- Contextual constructs — covering the risk and protective factors and the consequences of mental health, which may be at an individual, community or structural level.
They provide a summary mental health profile in Scotland, and a way of monitoring the state of mental health and well-being in Scotland, at a national level and will help inform decision-making about priorities for action and resource allocation.
The final report sets out the background, objectives, process and achievements of this work. It also includes the rationale and an overview of the evidence-base for the indicators as well as the list of the indicators and their data sources Final report adult mental health indicators December 2007.
The final briefing paper December 2007 provides a summary of the final output from the work including the recommendations, the indicators, their measures and associated data source.
A rationale paper documents clearly the thinking and reasons behind, and constraints involved in, decisions that have been taken during the course of the work Rationale paper October 2007.
Analysis of the data for the indicators
Available data for the indicators have now been analysed. The report Scotland's Mental Health and its Context: Adults 2009 provides the first systematic assessment of the mental health and associated contextual factors of the adult population of Scotland. It presents single point-in-time estimates, using the latest available data, and also, where possible, an analysis of time trends over the last decade and equalities analysis by age, gender and either area-based deprivation or individual socio-economic status.
A Briefing paper provides a summary of the key points (hard copies available on request) and the data file is available on the ScotPHO website.
Sub-national availability of data for the adult mental health indicators
Whilst having a national remit, the considerable interest in establishing local mental health indicators has been recognised. A briefing paper has, therefore, been prepared to help local areas in making decisions. This paper Monitoring of mental health locally: Sub-national availability of data for the national mental health indicators for adults August 2008 provides details on the main sub-national geographies at which the data for the national adult mental health indicators are availability.
The Scottish Health Survey has also produced a paper Scottish Health Survey Analysis by Local Authority or Health Board summaring when results for different sub-Scotland geographies are available (with associated measures of precision of these results). These results are estimates - more precise calculations will be available once analysis of the 2008 data is completed.
Process in establishing the adult mental health indicators
The work has used a mixed approach taking into account current data, policy, evidence, expert-opinion and theory. It has drawn on expertise from across a range of sectors. Vital to this have been links with people who have either developed or are in the process of developing indicators in areas of relevance to the measurement of mental health and well-being. Notably this includes areas such as community development, sustainable development, social capital and quality of life.
There were six key stages to this project:
- Determine a desirable set of defined mental health and well-being indicators;
- Review relevant Scottish data currently collected nationally, to maximise the use of data already gathered;
- Identify and establish consensus on a set of practical indicators for which data are currently available;
- Identify additional data needs and recommend new data that should be collected to fill the gaps between the set of practical indicators and the desirable set;
- Explore approaches to collect the recommended new data, and work to develop the data collection systems for desired indicators where they do not currently exist through influencing data collection systems to ensure that these adequately cover mental health and well-being; and
- Ensure the sustainable collection of both current and new data for the indicator set.
Supporting documents from the work
A paper that set out preliminary thinking behind, and rationale for, proposed constructs under which the indicators for adults could be developed was consulted on in February 2006 Consultation paper February 2006 .
Comments received were used to move the indicators work forward. This included the production of the final Rationale paper October 2007.
Five seminar events were organised in partnership with NHS Boards or local networks/alliances across Scotland in March/April 2007. These were held to discuss progress on the development of the national mental health indicators in Scotland. These stimulated further debate around the final choice of indicators and led to further refinement of the final indicator list. The following report summarises these events and the feedback and discussion around specific issues posed to delegates for consideration Report on Dissemination Events March/April 2007.
An article in the Journal of Public Mental Health 2006 described the indicators programme in its entirety: JPMH 2006 (Volume 5 Issue 1 p42-48).
Initial documents to the work include a background paper and an options appraisal paper. The latter discusses the various options available to ensure that data required for the mental health indicators set are obtained from surveys sustainably.
Information summarising progress and future activities at various stages of the work are also outlined in the following:
Briefing note September 2005
Briefing note update March 2006
Briefing note update (overview of work) December 2006
Commissioned supporting work included:
* the development of the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) - a new scale to assess the overall positive mental health of the adult population
* a Review of scales of positive mental health validated for use with adults in the UK. Scales reviewed assess some of the elements of positive mental health and factors which may influence or be influenced by the level of an individual's positive mental health. Appendix E contains copies of the scales for which permission was obtained for reproduction in the review:
Appendix E Contents and Copyright
Appendix E Scales A-E
Appendix E Scales F-M
Appendix E Scales O-R
Appendix E Scales S-T
Appendix E Scales V-W
* a practitioners mental health improvement evaluation guide was also produced from the review of scales of positive mental health Guide 5: Selecting scales to assess mental well-being
Contact for the indicators work
If you have comments on the indicators project or require further information please contact Jane Parkinson – jane.parkinson@health.scot.nhs.uk.
Last update 3rd June 2009