Chi & Boey (1993 Hong Kong Validation of Measuring Instruments of Mental Health Status of The Elderly)
Chi & Boey (1993 Hong Kong Validation of Measuring Instruments of Mental Health Status of The Elderly)
Clinical Gerontologist
Publication details, including instructions for authors and
subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wcli20
To cite this article: Iris Chi DSW & K. W. Boey PhD (1993) Hong Kong Validation of Measuring
Instruments of Mental Health Status of the Elderly, Clinical Gerontologist, 13:4, 35-51, DOI:
10.1300/J018v13n04_04
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the
“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,
our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to
the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions
and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,
and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content
should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources
of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,
proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever
or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or
arising out of the use of the Content.
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any
substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,
systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms
& Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/
terms-and-conditions
Downloaded by [University of Auckland Library] at 16:14 09 February 2015
Hong Kong Validation
of Measuring Instruments
of Mental Health Status of the Elderly
Iris Chi, DSW
K.W. Boey, PhD
Downloaded by [University of Auckland Library] at 16:14 09 February 2015
INTRODUCTION
As experienced by many industrialized societies in the world, Hong
Kong is having to face the challenge of a very fast growing, aging popula-
tion. It has been estimated that, by the year 2001, there will be approxi-
mately 909,500 elderly people in Hong Kong (Census & Statistics Depart-
ment, 1984) and that more than 14% of the total population will be aged 60
or over. The incidence and seriousness of mental disorders is affected by
age. The mental health needs of the elderly are particularly amenable to
population-focused interventions. As Olsen (1979) pointed out, in terms of
numbers and personal and social costs, the most urgent problem confront-
ing social and health policy planners, in the future, is the care and provi-
sion of services for the elderly, particularly, the elderly mentally infirm.
In most of the industrialized societies, it is estimated that about 10
percent of the older population have mental disorders which cause some
degree of disability. The Research Department of the Hong Kong Council
of Social Services has listed more than 60 studies conducted locally on
various topics concerning the elderly since the 1970s (Hong Kong Council
of Social Service, 1986). However, factors such as mental health, psycho-
logical well being, cognitive functioning, and quality of life have never
been systematically studied. There is basically no empirical data on the
mental health status of the elderly people in Hong Kong. The closest study
on this topic was a random sample health survey, conducted in 1988,
Iris Chi and K.W. Boey are affiliated with the Department of Social Work &
Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Clinical Gerontologist, Vol. 13(4) 1993
O 1993 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 35
36 CLINICAL GERONTOLOGIST
which showed that many of the Hong Kong elderly people were depressed
and bored (Chi and Lee, 1989).
One of the reasons, given by local researchers and practitioners for the
lack of research in this area is that there are no valid and reliable instru-
ments which can be used. In view of this, the objective of this study is to
establish the validity and reliability of several internationally well-known
psychogeriatric measurements in their applications to local elderly sub-
jects. These measurements include: (1) General Health Questionnaire-30
items version (GHQ-30); (2) Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire
(SPMSQ); (3) Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale
Downloaded by [University of Auckland Library] at 16:14 09 February 2015
Subjects
Subjects in this study (N = 91) were either normal elderly of the Adult
Service Division or patients of the Psychogeriamc Assessment Clinic in
the St. James' Settlement. St. James' Settlement is one of the largest
38 CWNICAL GERONTOLOGIST
Group
Sex:
Male
Female
Downloaded by [University of Auckland Library] at 16:14 09 February 2015
Age:
60-69
70-79
80+
Work Status:
Rclired
Never Work/Housewife
Working
Financial Status:
Suficient/V. Suficicnt
Just make ends meet
Insufficienl
Self-assessed Health:
Poor/Vcry Poor
Fair
Good/Very Good
a N-31
b N = M
p < .05 Chi-square comparison between 2nd Normal and Clinical Group
40 CLINICAL GERONTOLOGIST
previous year. The second normal group and the clinical group were well
matched except for sex and hospitalization. There were more females and
a higher rate of hospitalization in the clinical group.
RESULTS
Validity of Instruments
Table 2
Reliability or Measurements a
... -- - --- - -
CESD
LSI-A
GHQ
SPMSQ
Iris Chi and K. W.Boey
Tnble 3
Normal Clinical t
Table 4
- -
Correlulion between SPMSQ Score nod Year of Education
Downloaded by [University of Auckland Library] at 16:14 09 February 2015
kt N o m d Group
SPMSQ
Adjusted SPMSQ
SPMSQ
Adjusted SPMSQ
Clinical Group
SPMSQ
Adjusted SPMSQ
lower than 5.
Table 5
Group
% % %
CONCLUSZON
study proposes an adjustment of the SPMSQ which sets a cutting point for
clinical practice. This type of information will be found useful for both
comparative research and clinical assessment purposes in the future.
REFERENCES
Pfeiffer, E. (1980). The Psychosocial Evaluation of the Elderly Patients. In: Busse
E. W., Blazer, D. E. eds.: Handbook of Geriatric Psychiatric. New York: Van
Nostrand Reinhold.
Radloff, L.S. (1977). The CES-D Scale: A self-report depression scale for research
in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement. 1,385-401.
Smyer, M.A., Hofland, B.F.,and Jones, E.A. (1979). Validity Study of the Short
Portable Mental Status Questionnaire for the Elderly. Journal of the American
Geriatrics Sociery. 27,263-269.
Weiler, P.G., Lubben, J.E., and Chi, I. (1991). Cognitive Impairment and Hospital
Use. American Journal of Public Health. 81, 1153-1157.
Downloaded by [University of Auckland Library] at 16:14 09 February 2015
Downloaded by [University of Auckland Library] at 16:14 09 February 2015
CLINICAL GERONTOLOGIST
Downloaded by [University of Auckland Library] at 16:14 09 February 2015
48
CWNICAL GERONTOLOGIST
Downloaded by [University of Auckland Library] at 16:14 09 February 2015
CLINICAL GERONTOLOGIST
Downloaded by [University of Auckland Library] at 16:14 09 February 2015