ABSTRACT
The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI) aims to enhance mental health care capacity for children and adolescents across Greece. Considering the need for evidence-based policy, the program developed an open-resource dataset for researching the field within the country. A comprehensive, mixed-method, community-based research was conducted in 2022/2023 assessing the current state, needs, barriers, and opportunities according to multiple viewpoints. We surveyed geographically distributed samples of 1,756 caregivers, 1,201 children/adolescents, 404 schoolteachers, and 475 health professionals using validated instruments to assess mental health symptoms, mental health needs, literacy and stigma, service use and access, professional practices, training background, and training needs and preferences. Fourteen focus groups were conducted with informants from diverse populations (including underrepresented minorities) to reach an in-depth understanding of those topics. A dataset with quantitative and qualitative findings is now available for researchers, policymakers, and society [ https://osf.io/crz6h/ and https://rpubs.com/camhi/sdashboard ]. This resource offers valuable data for assessing the needs and priorities for child and adolescent mental health care in Greece. It is now freely available to consult, and is expected to inform upcoming research and evidence-based professional training. This initiative may inspire similar ones in other countries, informing methodological strategies for researching mental health needs.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In the context of Greece, many instruments measuring constructs pertinent to child and adolescent mental health lacked a locally-validated, freely-available version. As part of a nationwide survey, we translated and cross-culturally adapted a collection of seventeen brief, largely-employed assessment tools that can be used at scale. METHODS: This study is part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative in Greece (CAMHI), a capacity-building program focusing on enhancing mental health care for children and adolescents living in Greece. We conducted a nationwide survey assessing mental health symptoms, parenting practices, service availability and quality, mental health literacy and stigma, and professional practices within the country. As part of this process, we selected outcomes and instruments after consulting the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) and the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN). From our selection, we identified 17 instruments that did not have a Greek-validated version available for use. These instruments were translated and cross-culturally adapted following a structured procedure, including independent back-and-forth translations, synthesis of versions, expert revision, and pilot testing. Some instruments were slightly modified to meet CAMHI survey purposes. RESULTS: A cross-culturally adapted version in Greek was made available for the following instruments: Pediatric Symptoms Checklist (PSC); Deliberate Self Harm Inventory (DSH) (modified); Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen-2 (CATS-2); ABCD Screen Use (modified); Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham-IV (SNAP-IV); Parent Behavior Inventory (PBI); Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS)-(modified); Australian Mental Health Vignettes; Reported and Intended Behavior Scale (RIBS); Barriers to Access to Care (BACE) (modified); Experience of Service Questionnaire (ESQ) (modified); and Multitheoretical List of Therapeutic Interventions (MULTI-30) (modified). CONCLUSION: A collection of these widely-used assessment tools is now adapted for the local context and freely accessible at [ https://osf.io/crz6h/ ]. Researchers and health professionals in Greece can utilize this resource to screen, evaluate, and monitor various constructs related to mental health in accordance with the most effective practices.
