Chapter 10 Mental Health
10.1 Depression and Anxiety
10.1.1 Depression, Anxiety, Stress (DASS-21)
As the name suggest, the DASS-21 measures Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales with 21 items. It is the abbreviated version of a 42 item questionnaire. Paper-based versions of both can be found on the official DASS Homepage.One of the advantages of the DASS-21 is that it it available for a wide range of languages.
How to use the DASS-21
The DASS-21 measures three different scales:
- Depression Scale (D)
- Anxiety Scale (A)
- Stress Scale (S)
To see which question relates to which scale, click here. Simply add up the points for each scale and then multiply the result by two. The reason we have to double the score is that the classifications of symptom strength were designed for the full 42-item DASS. Thus, if a participants scores 3 points on the Depression scale for the DASS-21, this should be multiplied by 2 (=6).
Figure 10.1: Classifications for DASS scores.
Formats
You can download the DASS-21 as a PDF from the official DASS Homepage or as a Qualtrics file below.
Source:
Lovibond, S.H. & Lovibond, P.F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. (2nd. Ed.) Sydney: Psychology Foundation.
10.1.2 (Modified) Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale
The Modified Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (mAMAS) was developed by Carey, Hill, Devine, and Szűcs (2017) and is based on the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) which was developed by Hopko, Mahadevan, Bare, and Hunt (2003). The wording of both scales is slightly different and in parts reflects that the data used to assess the suitability of the AMAS was collected in the US and the data used to assess suitability of the mAMAS was collected in the UK. The mAMAS can also be used to test children (approx. 8-13 years) while the use of the AMAS was verified for older teenagers and young adults.
The overall score of the AMAS and mAMAS in indicative of math anxiety in general but both measures also provide an estimate of anxiety related to being tested on mathematical knowledge and anxiety related to studying mathematics.
How to use the (m)AMAS
Both the AMAS and the mAMAS contain 9 questions and answers are scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Math evaluation (test) anxiety is assessed by the combined score of the even questions (2, 4, 6, 8) and math learning anxiety is assessed by the total score of the odd questions (1, 3, 5, 7, 9).
Formats
The AMAS and mAMAS can be downloaded as Qualtrics and Word file:
Qualtrics - mAMAS|Word - mAMAS
Source:
Carey, E., Hill, F., Devine, A., & Szűcs, D. (2017). The modified abbreviated math anxiety scale: A valid and reliable instrument for use with children. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 11.
Hopko, D. R., Mahadevan, R., Bare, R. L., & Hunt, M. K. (2003). The abbreviated math anxiety scale (AMAS) construction, validity, and reliability. Assessment, 10(2), 178-182.
10.2 Autism
The Autism Spectrum Quotient 10 items (AQ-10) scale was developed as a quick way to decide whether further autism diagnostics should be conducted. There three versions of the AQ-10, one for children, one for adolescents, and one for adults.
How to use the AQ-10
Adult AQ-10:
- For questions 1, 7, 8, and 10, award one point if the response was ‘Slightly Agree’ or ‘Definitely Agree’.
- For questions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9, award one point if the response was ‘Slightly Disagree’ or ‘Definitely Disagree’.
Adolescent AQ-10:
- For questions 1, 5, 8 and 10, award one point if the response was ‘Slightly Agree’ or ‘Definitely Agree’.
- For questions 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9, award one point if the response was ‘Slightly Disagree’ or ‘Definitely Disagree’.
Children AQ-10:
- For questions 1, 5, 7 and 10, award one point if the response was ‘Slightly Agree’ or ‘Definitely Agree’.
- For questions 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9, award one point if the response was ‘Slightly Disagree’ or ‘Definitely Disagree’.
A score of 6 or more suggests autistic tendencies. In a clinical context, the person would be referred for further diagnostics.
Formats
Qualtrics and paper-based versions of the AQ-10 can be downloaded for children, adolescents, and adults below. Versions in alternative languages can be found here.
Qualtrics-Adults|Qualtrics-Adolescents|Qualtrics-Children
Word-Adults|Word-Adolescents|Word-Children
Source:
Allison, C., Auyeung, B., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2012). Toward Brief “Red Flags” for Autism Screening: The Short Autism Spectrum Quotient and the Short Quantitative Checklist in 1,000 Cases and 3,000 Controls. Journal of the American Acad of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(2), 202-212.
10.4 General Mental Health
The Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC-SF) was developed by Keyes (2002) and measures general mental health in relation to emotional wellbeing, social wellbeing, and psychological wellbeing.Two versions of the MHC-SF exist, one for adults (18 years and older) and one for teenagers (12-18 years).
How to use the MHC-SF
The both MHC-SF versions contain 14 items and require participants to rate how often they experienced a feeling within the last month.
The rating scale is:
0 = never
1 = once or twice
2 = about once a week
3 = about 2 to 3 times a week
4 = almost every day
5 = every day
Items 1-3 are linked to emotional wellbeing, Items 4-8 are linked to social wellbeing, and items 9 to 14 are linked to psychological wellbeing.
People are classified as ‘flourishing’ or ‘languishing’ based on their responses.
Formats
You can download the MHC-SF as a Microsoft Word or as a Qualtrics file.
Source:
Keyes, C. L. (2002). The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing in life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 207-222.
Keyes, C. L. (2009). Brief description of the mental health continuum short form (MHC-SF).