Davison Belinda, Liddle Robyn, Fitz Joseph, Singh Gurmeet R
Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia.
Northern Territory Medical Program, Flinders University, Darwin, NT, Australia.
SAGE Open Med. 2020 Feb 7;8:2050312120906042. doi: 10.1177/2050312120906042. eCollection 2020.
Mental health disorders rank among the most substantial causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Almost half of Australian adults experience mental illness at some point in their lifetime, with Indigenous Australians disproportionally affected. Thus, it is imperative that effective, acceptable screening tools are used, which are tailored to the target population.
This research investigates the methodology of computerised questionnaires in assessing the emotional well-being and substance use in Indigenous and non-Indigenous young adults.
Cross-sectional data from young adults (21-28 years) in the Life Course Program, Northern Territory, Australia, are presented. Through an extensive consultation process, validated questionnaires were adapted to a computerised format suitable for both remote and urban residing Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults.
Of the 576 participants (459 Indigenous, 117 non-Indigenous) available for assessment, high consent rates were seen, with completion rates >86%. One in three young adults in this cohort were highlighted as 'at risk' of psychological distress, and one in five as 'at risk' of suicidal ideation or self-harm.
The target population of this study were at a critical age with high levels of psychological distress and suicidal ideation reported, particularly in Indigenous young adults. This simple, user-friendly, pictorial programme allowed assessment of a sensitive topic anonymously, while simultaneously collating data and identifying those at high risk, irrespective of literacy level or cultural background.
心理健康障碍是全球发病和死亡的主要原因之一。近一半的澳大利亚成年人在其一生中的某个阶段会经历精神疾病，澳大利亚原住民受到的影响尤为严重。因此，必须使用有效且可接受的筛查工具，并针对目标人群进行定制。
本研究调查了计算机化问卷在评估澳大利亚原住民和非原住民青年的情绪健康和物质使用情况方面的方法。
呈现了来自澳大利亚北领地“生命历程项目”中21至28岁青年成年人的横断面数据。通过广泛的咨询过程，将经过验证的问卷改编为适合偏远地区和城市居住的原住民及非原住民成年人的计算机化格式。
在可供评估的576名参与者（459名原住民，117名非原住民）中，同意率很高，完成率超过86%。该队列中有三分之一的青年成年人被列为心理困扰“高危”人群，五分之一被列为有自杀意念或自我伤害“高危”人群。
本研究的目标人群处于关键年龄，报告显示心理困扰和自杀意念程度较高，尤其是原住民青年成年人。这个简单、用户友好的图片程序允许匿名评估一个敏感话题，同时整理数据并识别高危人群，无论其识字水平或文化背景如何。
