Associate Provost for Research Boston University Medical Campus
NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health	Research Resources

Abstract

Abstract: DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this application is to develop a culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health assessment instrument designed to assess outcome of treatment for Spanish-speaking mental health and substance abuse service recipients. Culturally and linguistically appropriate outcome measures are especially needed to determine the presence and direction of health disparities, and to assess quality and outcomes of treatment among minority populations. The proposed research will accomplish this by adapting, translating and field testing and validating the revised Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale (BASIS-R) for use among Spanish speakers from three Spanish-speaking regions: Puerto Rico, Mexico and The Dominican Republic. Under a currently funded project (R01 MH58240) an extensive revision of the BASIS-32, a widely used consumer self-report mental health status measure, was undertaken. This application extends the currently funded work by adapting and translating the instrument for Spanish-speaking Latinos in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and by allowing for culture-specific modules to be added to the core instrument. Specific aims are to: adapt and translate the instrument into Spanish; identify symptom and functioning domains and items that are culturally relevant to Spanish-speaking Latinos but are not included in the English version of the instrument; field test the adapted/translated instrument; and assess data quality, factor structure reliability, validity, differential item functioning and sensitivity to change for the Spanish instrument. These goals will be accomplished by using the best established methods to develop a preliminary translation. To assess content and semantic equivalence we will conduct focus groups and cognitive interviews. Analysis of the results will be used to further refine the translation for field testing. To assess technical equivalence, we will use the same format, and layout for the Spanish adaptation of the instrument as for the English. The field test of the instrument will enroll a total sample of 600 Latinos: 100 inpatients and 100 outpatients receiving treatment at each of three participating sites in Boston, Puerto Rico and Fresno. To assess criterion and conceptual equivalence, field test data will be used to assess reliability and validity of the instrument. Item Response Theory will be used to assess differential item functioning of the Spanish and English instruments. The instrument developed from this research will provide an important tool for assessing outcomes of mental health treatment among the Latino population.

Thesaurus Terms:
Hispanic American, health survey, language translation, mental health, psychological test
Mexican American, Puerto Rican, culture, medically underserved population, mental disorder diagnosis, mental health epidemiology, multilingualism, psychometrics, sign /symptom, substance abuse related disorder
behavioral /social science research tag, clinical research, human subject, interview

Institution:	BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
	715 ALBANY ST, 560
	BOSTON, MA 021182394
Fiscal Year:	2005
Department:	HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT
Project Start:	15-AUG-1999
Project End:	28-FEB-2007
ICD:	NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
IRG:	ZMH1