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The World Mental Health International College Student Survey in Canada: Protocol for a Mental Health and Substance Use Trend Study.
Jones, Laura B; Judkowicz, Carolina; Hudec, Kristen L; Munthali, Richard J; Prescivalli, Ana Paula; Wang, Angel Y; Munro, Lonna; Xie, Hui; Pendakur, Krishna; Rush, Brian; Gillett, James; Young, Marisa; Singh, Diana; Todorova, Antoaneta A; Auerbach, Randy P; Bruffaerts, Ronny; Gildea, Sarah M; McKechnie, Irene; Gadermann, Anne; Richardson, Chris G; Sampson, Nancy A; Kessler, Ronald C; Vigo, Daniel V.
  • Jones LB; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • Judkowicz C; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • Hudec KL; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • Munthali RJ; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • Prescivalli AP; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • Wang AY; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • Munro L; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • Xie H; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
  • Pendakur K; Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
  • Rush B; Social & Behavioural Health Sciences Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
  • Gillett J; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
  • Young M; Department of Health, Aging & Society, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
  • Singh D; Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
  • Todorova AA; Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
  • Auerbach RP; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
  • Bruffaerts R; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
  • Gildea SM; Center for Public Health Psychiatry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • McKechnie I; Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
  • Gadermann A; Okanagan Planning and Institutional Research, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
  • Richardson CG; School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • Sampson NA; School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • Kessler RC; Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
  • Vigo DV; Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
JMIR Res Protoc ; 11(7): e35168, 2022 Jul 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1974496
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The World Health Organization World Mental Health International College Student (WMH-ICS) initiative aims to screen for mental health and substance use problems among postsecondary students on a global scale as well as to develop and evaluate evidence-based preventive and ameliorative interventions for this population. This protocol paper presents the Canadian version of the WMH-ICS survey, detailing the adapted survey instrument, the unique weekly cross-sectional administration, the multitiered recruitment strategy, and the associated risk mitigation protocols.

OBJECTIVE:

This paper aims to provide a methodological resource for researchers conducting cross-national comparisons of WMH-ICS data, as well as to serve as a useful guide for those interested in replicating the outlined cross-sectional methodology to better understand how mental health and substance use vary over time among university students.

METHODS:

The online survey is based on the WMH-ICS survey instrument, modified to the Canadian context by the addition of questions pertaining to Canadian-based guidelines and the translation of the survey to Canadian French. The survey is administered through the Qualtrics survey platform and is sent to an independent stratified random sample of 350 students per site weekly, followed by two reminder emails. Upon survey closure every week, a random subsample of 70 nonresponders are followed up with via phone or through a personal email in an effort to decrease nonresponder bias. The survey is accompanied by an extensive risk mitigation protocol that stratifies respondents by the level of need and provides tailored service recommendations, including a facilitated expedited appointment to student counseling services for those at increased risk of suicide. The anticipated sample size is approximately 5500 students per site per year.

RESULTS:

In February 2020, the Canadian survey was deployed at the University of British Columbia. This was followed by deployment at Simon Fraser University (November 2020), McMaster University (January 2021), and the University of Toronto (January 2022). Data collection at all 4 sites is ongoing. As of May 6, 2022, 29,503 responses have been collected.

CONCLUSIONS:

Based on international collaboration, the Canadian version of the WMH-ICS survey incorporates a novel methodological approach centered on the weekly administration of a comprehensive cross-sectional survey to independent stratified random samples of university students. After 27 months of consecutive survey administration, we have developed and refined a survey protocol that has proven effective in engaging students at four Canadian institutions, allowing us to track how mental health and substance use vary over time using an internationally developed university student survey based on the criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition). INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) RR1-10.2196/35168.
Keywords

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Language: English Journal: JMIR Res Protoc Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 35168

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Language: English Journal: JMIR Res Protoc Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 35168