title: Validation of the Self Reporting Questionnaire 20-Item (SRQ-20) for Use in a Low- and Middle-Income Country Emergency Centre Setting.
abstract: Common mental disorders are highly prevalent in emergency centre (EC) patients, yet few brief screening tools have been validated for low- and middle-income country (LMIC) ECs. This study explored the psychometric properties of the SRQ-20 screening tool in South African ECs using the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) as the gold standard comparison tool. Patients (n=200) from two ECs in Cape Town, South Africa were interviewed using the SRQ-20 and the MINI. Internal consistency, screening properties and factorial validity were examined. The SRQ-20 was effective in identifying participants with major depression, anxiety disorders or suicidality and displayed good internal consistency. The optimal cutoff scores were 4/5 and 6/7 for men and women respectively. The factor structure differed by gender. The SRQ-20 is a useful tool for EC settings in South Africa and holds promise for task-shifted approaches to decreasing the LMIC burden of mental disorders.
authors.affiliation: Alan J. Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, 46 Sawkins Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van der Westhuizen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wyatt
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: John K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Dan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: Alan J. Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, 46 Sawkins Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sorsdahl
keywords: Common mental disorder screening; Emergency centre or department; Low- and middle-income country; Psychometric properties of the SRQ-20; Task-shifting