Self-Rated Health (SRH) / Self-Rated Mental Health (SRMH)

Self-Rated Health (SRH) and Self-Rated Mental Health (SRMH)

Introduction

The SRH is a single-item measure of perception of general health. The SRMH is a single-item measure of perception of general mental health. They are both very brief self-reports by youth, and widely used indicators of general health and mental health status.

Why are we asking youth to complete this questionnaire?

Self-Rated Health (SRH):

The SRH is a valid and reliable measure of health that predicts quality of life and morbidity. Research has reported the SRH to be significantly and independently associated with specific health problems, use of health services, and changes in functional status.

Self-Rated Mental Health (SRMH):

The SRMH correlates with other mental health scales (e.g., K-10, PHQ-9), with poor SRMH associated with increased health service utilization.

These questionnaires provide a simple way to obtain information regarding youth’s perceptions of their general and mental health, and responses are often associated with physical health outcomes, and psychiatric diagnoses and distress, respectively, and are used extensively in clinical settings.

Responding to youth asking why they are being asked to complete this:

These questions are simple and easy ways to understand how you are feeling about your general and mental health. They are widely used measurements of health status that give us an idea about how you rate yourself as feeling, so that we can take that into account in trying to best meet your needs at the hub.

Clinical Questionnaire:

At the hub, when youth are provided the questionnaires on an iPad (or possibly in hard copy form), they receive the following instructions:

The items simply ask young people to rate their perceived health, and mental health, on a five-point scale from excellent to poor.

When do youth respond to these questions?

Young people are asked to complete these items at their first clinical visit, and each subsequent clinical visit more than seven days later. (The questions are not asked/completed if youth visit the hub for service seven or fewer days after their last clinical visit).

If a young person requires assistance with an item due to developmental, cognitive, language, or other issues, try to provide these supports:

• Read all items aloud exactly as printed word for word, at an appropriate pace;
• If there is some misunderstanding, repeat the item;
• Determine which word is confusing and define the word, but try not to reword the question (it may alter the meaning of the question, as well as the response); and
• Do not suggest answers.

Scoring/results:

How can I go over results with youth?

Responses are recorded automatically on the YWHO Data Collection platform. There are no numerical scores - just single-word ratings.

Ratings of fair or poor should be explored, as they have been shown to be correlated with other indicators of concern. In combination with results on other screeners and clinical judgment, these ratings may map onto medium/high intensity services. Ratings of good, very good, and excellent would typically map onto no/low intensity clinical services.