Development and psychometric evaluation of the Chinese mental health support scale

Abstract

Objective: To culturally adapt a self-report measure of mental health first aid behaviours, the Mental Health Support Scale (MHSS), into Chinese. Method: The MHSS has two versions that measure either Intended support, or Provided support, and is applicable to a range of mental health problems. The MHSS was adapted for consistency with Chinese mental health first aid guidelines, forward- and back-translated, and pre-tested with 19 adult residents of mainland China to check the scale was understandable, acceptable and clear. The psychometric properties of the final translation were evaluated with a convenience sample of 406 Chinese adults. Participants completed both versions of the Chinese MHSS: the Chinese MHSS Intended, which measures help a respondent intended to provide if a person close to them developed a mental health problem or crisis, and the Chinese MHSS Provided if they had supported a person with a mental health problem, as well as measures of stigma and mental health literacy. Results: The Chinese MHSS Intended comprised two factors: Recommended Actions with 17 items and Not Recommended Actions with 5 items. The Chinese MHSS Provided comprised 10 items in a single factor. Scales demonstrated excellent internal consistency and there was evidence in support of validity, particularly for the Chinese MHSS Intended. Discussion: These preliminary results suggest the Chinese MHSS has acceptable psychometric properties. Future research should examine the responsiveness of the scales to MHFA training.