Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention Advance Access originally published online on November 26, 2008
Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 2008 8(4):304-312; doi:10.1093/brief-treatment/mhn017
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Development of Clinical Ratings for Crisis Assessment In Community Mental Health
From the Psychology Department Woodland Centers, 1125 6th Street SE, PO Box 787, Willmar, MN 56201
Contact author: E. Bonynge, Woodland Centers, 1125 6th Street SE, PO Box 787, Willmar, MN 56201. E-mail: ceo{at}woodlandcenters.com.
Few measurements have been developed to aid clinicians in mental health crisis assessment. Authors developed clinical dimensions from both experienced, licensed professionals working in crisis and salient characteristics of individuals presented to a crisis service located in a community mental health center. Five criteria, combined with a standard assessment protocol, were rated by 15 licensed professionals. These five criteria were tested as plausible dimensions for future measurement development. Clinical ratings by licensed professionals on 618 episodes of crisis over an 18-month period were analyzed to determine the latent structure and predictive potential of triage dispositions. The five criteria and a composite total were predictive of differential triage dispositions. An exploratory factor analysis indicated a two-factor model, which we termed "self-destructive mood" and "perturbation." Future development of this model and future refinement of this measure are discussed.
KEY WORDS: crisis measurement, psychometric characteristics, community mental health