Self-Reporting Questionnaire: psychometric and tracking study of mental health indicators in university students

• Grant number: 24/15519-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy
• Principal Investigator: Juliana Alvares Duarte Bonini Campos
• Grantee: Livia Oliveira dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/04655-9 - Contribution of stress and trauma to mental disorder symptoms in university students: Brazil-Netherlands transnational study, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

Objectives: verify i. the most appropriate response scale for using the Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20), ii. estimate the prevalence of anxious depressive mood, somatic symptoms, depressive thoughts and decreased energy among university students, iii. identify the relationship between indicators of mental health disorders and demographic characteristics, and iv. identify the relationship between different indicators of mental health disorders. Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study with non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Data collected in the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 will be used. A questionnaire will be used to characterize the sample and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) measuring instrument with a dichotomous response scale (0: No; 1: Yes) and Likert type with 5 points (0: Never; 1: Rarely; 2: Sometimes; 3: Usually; and 4: Always). The fit of the SRQ-20 with different response scales to the sample will be estimated using confirmatory factor analysis with a robust estimator Weighted Least Squares Mean and Variance Adjusted (WLSMV) and the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) indices. The response scales to the SRQ-20 will be compared by analyzing the curve obtained by the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) and Item Response Theory (IRT). The prevalence of symptoms (anxious depressive mood, somatic symptoms, depressive thoughts and decreased energy) will be estimated based on the confidence interval (95%CI) and compared using the z test (¿=5%). The chi-square test (¿=5%) will be performed to identify the relationship between disorder indicators and medication consumption. A multiple logistic regression model will be developed where the SRQ-20 result will be the dependent variable, and the sample characteristics will be the independent. The odds ratio (OR) will also be estimated by 95%CI and analysis will be conducted for students grouped according to the presence or absence of mental disorders diagnosed throughout their lives. A network analysis will also be conducted to verify the relationships and strength of the SRQ-20 items, seeking to identify patterns and main indicators related to students' mental health. A Gaussian graphical model regulated by the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) method will be used.