In low-resource settings, valid mental health screening tools for non-specialists can be used to identify patients with psychiatric disorders in need of critical mental health care. The Mental Wellness Tool-13 (mwTool-13) is a 13-item screener for identifying adults at risk for common mental disorders (CMDs) alcohol-use disorders (AUDs), substance-use disorders (SUD), severe mental disorders (SMDs), and suicide risk (SR). The mwTool-13 is administered in two steps, specifically, only those who endorse any of the initial three questions receive the remaining ten questions. We evaluated the performance of mwTool-13 in South Africa against a diagnostic gold standard. We recruited a targeted, gender-balanced sample of adults, aged ≥18 years at primary and tertiary healthcare facilities in Eastern Cape Province. Of the 1885 participants, the prevalence of CMD, AUD, SMD, SR, and SUD was 24.4%, 9.5%, 8.1%, 6.0%, and 1.6%, respectively. The mwTool-13 yielded high sensitivities for CMD, SMD, and SR, but sub-optimal sensitivities for AUD and SUD (56.7% and 64.5%, respectively). Including a single AUD question in the initial question set improved the tool’s performance in identifying AUD and SUD (sensitivity > 70%), while maintaining brevity, face-validity, and simplicity in the South African setting.

Health systems globally demand more competent workers but lack competency-based training programs to reach their goals. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a competency-based curriculum (EQUIP-FHS) for trainers and supervisors to teach foundational helping knowledge, attitudes and skills, guided by the WHO/UNICEF EQUIP platform, to improve the competency of in-service and pre-service workers from various health and other service sectors. A mixed-methods, uncontrolled before-and-after trial was conducted in Nepal, Peru, and Uganda from 2020 to 2021. Trainees’ (N = 150) competency data were collected during 13 FHS trainings. Paired t-tests assessed pre- to post-change in ENACT competency measures (e.g., harmful, helpful). Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. EQUIP-FHS trainings, on average, were 20 h in duration. Harmful behaviors significantly decreased, and helpful behaviors significantly increased, across and within sites from pre-to post-training. Qualitatively, trainees and trainers promoted the training and highlighted difficult competencies and areas for scaling the training. A brief competency-based curriculum on foundational helping delivered through pre-service or in-service training can reduce the risk that healthcare workers and other service providers display harmful behaviors. We recommend governmental and nongovernmental organizations implement competency-based approaches to enhance the quality of their existing workforce programming and be one step closer to achieving the goal of quality healthcare around the globe.

Mental health policies and plans (MHPPs) are important policy instruments and powerful tools to facilitate development of mental health systems and services across the world. We aimed to map and analyse methods and tools used to assess the extent, process and impact of implementing MHPPs. We systematically searched peer-reviewed and grey literature across seven scientific databases. We extracted and analysed the data on a) the characteristics of included studies (e.g., policy areas, region of origin, income setting) and b) the methodology and evaluation tools applied to assess the extent and process of implementation. We included 48 studies in the analyses. Twenty-six of these studies employed only qualitative methods (e.g., semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, desk review, stakeholder consultations); 12 studies used quantitative methods (e.g., trend analysis, survey) and 10 used mixed-methods approaches. Generally, methods and tools used for assessment were described poorly with less than half of the studies providing partial or full details about them. Only three studies provided assessment of full policies. There is a lack of rigorous research to assess implementation MHPPs. Assessments of the implementation of entire MHPPs are almost non-existent. Strategies to assess the implementation of MHPPs should be an integral part of MHPPs.

This research reflects the considerations of music teachers when assessing their students, the tools used and their consistency with guidelines issued by the Chilean Ministry of Education, along with theoretical approaches to assessment. In this way, we have analysed the theoretical contribution of renowned scholars such as Pujol, Santos Guerra, Chacón, and Fautley, as well as the music curricula of the Ministry of Education from first to eighth grade. We propose that it is essential to understand the experience of teachers in the assessment process from a constructivist perspective, analysing their agreement or disagreement with the current ministerial theoretical foundations in relation to assessment.

Dysthymia clinical trials raise several methodological issues. The validity of the concept remains a matter of concern, as does the need for specific instruments, the difficulties in assessment of change and long-term assessments. Diagnostic criteria for inclusion should be used in a polydiagnostic approach. This paper summarises the main assessment tools and diagnostic criteria used in clinical trials on dysthymia. Severity criterion for inclusion could be a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score (HAMD-17) between 13 and 17. The main response criteria should be a decrease of at least 50% of the total score on this scale and a final score under a predetermined limit. However, other response criteria may be useful: depression self-ratings, global assessments, general psychopathology assessments, personality and defense mechanisms, quality of life, psychosocial and functional impairment, diagnostic criteria (presence or absence) and side-effect assessment.

The need to support people to change diet-related behaviour is widely advocated and how to do this effectively in practice is an expanding area of research. Important factors to consider are how healthcare practitioners communicate with their patients and how that communication may affect diet-related behaviour change and subsequent outcomes. The aim of the present paper is to discuss communication skills for behaviour change (CSBC), focusing predominantly on registered dietitians who are required to communicate effectively and have an important role in supporting patients to change diet-related behaviour. The views of dietitians in relation to CSBC have been investigated and respondents have consistently reported that they perceive these skills to be of vital importance in practice. Patient views have reiterated the importance of good CSBC in one-to-one consultations. However, pre-qualification training of dietitians is thought to deliver practitioners who are competent at a minimum level. The need for ongoing continuous professional development (CPD) in relation to CSBC has been recognised but currently most CPD focuses on updating knowledge rather than improving these essential skills. Measuring CSBC in a consistent and objective manner is difficult and an assessment tool, DIET-COMMS, has been developed and validated for this purpose. DIET-COMMS can be used to support CSBC development, but concerns about logistical challenges and acceptability of implementing this in practice have been raised. Although a suitable assessment tool now exists there is a need to develop ways to facilitate assessment of CSBC in practice.

There is wide recognition that patient and client assessment by community nurses is central to the provision of high quality care. It is also acknowledged that assessment in the home setting is a complex process requiring a wide range of knowledge and skills. This article identifies two distinct approaches to assessment that have emerged in different contexts around the world. These approaches comprise the formal, structured questionnaire-based assessment that has been developed particularly in response to the requirement to determine service eligibility and the informal, conversation-based assessment that draws on nursing concepts and theories. The article briefly traces the professional and policy influences that have shaped the development of these two approaches before turning to a critical analysis of selected empirical work that has examined their effectiveness. Research undertaken on the structured form of assessment has focused largely on issues of reliability. While the majority of studies indicate that this form of assessment is reliable in identifying patient need, some research highlights its failure to take account of patient and client perspectives. This raises questions about the appropriateness of the nursing interventions that are planned in response to a structured assessment. Less research attention has been devoted to exploring the conversation-based approach to assessment, but this body of work has drawn attention to the potential for practitioners to adopt a controlling influence over the assessment process. Reference is made to research in which the author has collaborated that illuminates the way in which two styles of conversation-based assessment impact differently on patients and clients. The article concludes by identifying the need for further research and argues that a key focus should be the ways in which assessment contributes to care planning and patient outcomes.

Soils perform a number of essential functions affecting management goals. Soil functions were assessed by measuring physical, chemical, and biological properties in a regional assessment of conventional (CON) and alternative (ALT) management practices at eight sites within the Great Plains. The results, reported in accompanying papers, provide excellent data for assessing how management practices collectively affect agronomic and environmental soil functions that benefit both farmers and society. Our objective was to use the regional data as an input for two new assessment tools to evaluate their potential and sensitivity for detecting differences (aggradation or degradation) in management systems. The soil management assessment framework (SMAF) and the agro-ecosystem performance assessment tool (AEPAT) were used to score individual soil properties at each location relative to expected conditions based on inherent soil-forming factors and to compute index values that provide an overall assessment of the agronomic and environmental impact of the CON and ALT practices. SMAF index values were positively correlated with grain yield (an agronomic function) and total organic matter (an agronomic and environmental function). They were negatively correlated with soil nitrate concentration at harvest (an indicator of environmental function). There was general agreement between the two assessment tools when used to compare management practices. Users can measure a small number of soil properties and use one of these tools to easily assess the effectiveness of soil management practices. A higher score in either tool identifies more environmentally and agronomically sustainable management. Temporal variability in measured indicators makes dynamic assessments of management practices essential. Water-filled pore space, aggregate stability, particulate organic matter, and microbial biomass were sensitive to management and should be included in studies aimed at improving soil management. Reductions in both tillage and fallow combined with crop rotation has resulted in improved soil function (e.g., nutrient cycling, organic C content, and productivity) throughout the Great Plains.

War-affected populations often are displaced for years. When primary health care is focused on the acute conditions that often present in the emergency phase of a complex emergency, insufficient attention often is directed towards other evolving needs of the population. Their reproductive health, psychosocial health, and problems with chronic diseases may be overlooked even after the situation stabilizes.

This article examines currently available resources for conducting rapid assessments of health needs and services during complex emergencies. Their respective strengths and weaknesses are discussed, particularly for assessing a population's reproductive health needs, and for fostering the integration of reproductive health and primary health-care services, and for designing health services delivery.

When more specific indicators are included in a needs assessment tool, the likelihood that the assessment results will influence the design and scope of the health program is increased. Needs assessments for primary health care that incorporate reproductive health indicators will assist health officials to integrate these services, and thus, use staff and facilities more efficiently, and will highlight areas of opportunity for providing services.