8th Conference of the International Association for Computerized Adaptive Testing Frankfurt am Main, Germany | September 20-22, 2022
Reports by WHO show that relatively few people worldwide have access to quality mental health services. In low and middle-income countries, more than 75% of people with mental, neurological and substance use disorders receive no treatment for their condition at all. This is compounded by stigma, discrimination, punitive legislation and human rights abuses that are still widespread. This report shows that close to 1 billion people are living with a mental disorder, 3 million people die every year from the harmful use of alcohol, and one person dies every 40 seconds by suicide. And now, billions of people around the world have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is having a further impact on people’s mental health. The research aimed to develop an optimal item bank for assessing well-being while detailing all the procedures, including planning, content analysis, and test blueprint going by Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. The developed item bank was pilot-tested using FastTest and subjected to psychometric analysis using the Graded Response Model (GRM). The target population would be university undergraduates in South Africa and Nigeria. The sample would be drawn purposively, focusing on undergraduates engaged in virtual learning. The instrument for the study would be a Likert-scaled questionnaire with items based on indices of mental well-being. The scale would be face and content validated by medical, sociology, educational, and psychological experts. At the same time, a trial test would be carried out to determine the reliability of the test items. The scale parameters would be analysed using the Xcalibre 4.2 programme to ensure an optimal mental well-being scale. At the same time, the procedures would be carefully outlined to ensure replicability within other programs. The developed scale would be deployed adaptively to support the national COVID-19 recovery plan for sub-Saharan African countries with a dart of mental health services. This study also aims to achieve SDG goal 3 of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.
Comments