Are mental health surveys reaching the right people?
The quality of mental health surveys could be compromised by failing to capture data from vulnerable populations, a new study from the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) has found.
Led by QCMHR researcher, Ms Eryn Wright, the study reviewed recent national mental health surveys from high-income OECD countries to examine their participation rates and identify commonly excluded or underrepresented populations.
Ms Wright said the study found that mental health survey results may require further consideration due to the exclusion of particular and often vulnerable groups, such as those who are homeless or in correctional facilities, the under-representation of young males, and a general decline in participation.
“The findings of our review have significant implications for government agencies and health service providers who use national mental health survey data to plan mental health services,” Ms Wright said.
“This is because groups who are excluded or underrepresented are likely to have different rates of mental illness and different service needs.
“Unless vulnerable groups can be included, and participation rates in surveys can be increased, this means that services planned using this data may fail to meet the needs of many people.”
To address these challenges in conducting national mental health surveys, the study made a series of recommendations to ensure future mental health surveys are as inclusive and representative as possible.
“We recommend that survey teams who are concerned about the representativeness of their data should conduct supplementary pieces of work to capture missing or under-represented groups,” Ms Wright said.
“In cases where this additional work is not possible, we also recommend that having clear and explicit detail about who is, and who is not, covered in the survey is key to ensuring data is interpreted in the right way.
“Finally, we also recommend that surveys should consider employing strategies that may help to improve participation, such as pre-survey notification, financial incentives, and shorter questionnaires.”
The study was published in the Journal of Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology in May 2023.
Media contact: Mrs Eryn Wright,
Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) is a research partnership between Queensland Health and The University of Queensland. Hosted by West Moreton Health, QCMHR is funded to contribute to the Queensland, Australian and global mental health research effort.