Pedagosko i psiholosko testiranje i procjenjivanje spadaju među najvažnije doprinose znanosti o ponasanju nasem drustvu i pružaju temeljna i znacajna poboljsanja u odnosu na ranije postupke. Iako se ne može ustvrditi da su svi testovi dovoljno usavrseni niti da su sva testiranja razborita i korisna, postoji velika kolicina informacija koje ukazuju na ucinkovitost kvalitetnih instrumenata u onim situacijama u kojima je njihovo koristenje potkrijepljeno validacijskim podacima. Pravilna upotreba testova može dovesti do boljih odluka o pojedincima i programima nego sto bi to bio slucaj bez njihovog koristenja, a također i ukazati na put za siri i pravedniji pristup obrazovanju i zaposljavanju. Međutim, losa upotreba testova može dovesti do zamjetne stete nanesene ispitanicima i drugim sudionicima u procesu donosenja odluka na temelju testovnih podataka. Cilj Standarda je promoviranje kvalitetne i eticne upotrebe testova te uspostavljanje osnovice za ocjenu kvalitete postupaka testiranja. Svrha objavljivanja Standarda je uspostavljanje kriterija za evaluaciju testova, provedbe testiranja i posljedica upotrebe testova. Iako bi evaluacija prikladnosti testa ili njegove primjene trebala ovisiti prvenstveno o strucnim misljenjima, Standardi pružaju okvir koji osigurava obuhvacanje svih relevantnih pitanja. Bilo bi poželjno da svi autori, sponzori, nakladnici i korisnici profesionalnih testova usvoje Standarde te da poticu druge da ih također prihvate.

Standards for educational and psychological testing

Sustainable Development Goals

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(07)61238-0.pdf

No health without mental health.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic emerged in Wuhan, China, spread nationwide and then onto half a dozen other countries between December 2019 and early 2020. The implementation of unprecedented strict quarantine measures in China has kept a large number of people in isolation and affected many aspects of people's lives. It has also triggered a wide variety of psychological problems, such as panic disorder, anxiety and depression. This study is the first nationwide large-scale survey of psychological distress in the general population of China during the COVID-19 epidemic.

https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/gpsych/33/2/e100213.full.pdf

A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Chinese people in the COVID-19 epidemic: Implications and policy recommendations

Perinatal depression: a systematic review of prevalence and incidence.

Spirit possession is a common, worldwide phenomenon with dissociative features. Studies in Europe and the United States have revealed associations among psychoform and somatoform dissociation and (reported) potential traumatic events. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships among spirit possession, dissociative symptoms and reported potentially traumatizing events in Uganda. One hundred nineteen persons with spirit possession, diagnosed by traditional healers, were compared to a matched control group of 71 nonpossessed persons. Assessments included demographic items and measures of dissociation and potentially traumatizing events. Compared to the nonpossessed group, the possessed group reported more severe psychoform dissociation and somatoform dissociation and more potentially traumatizing events. The associations between these events and both types of dissociation were significant. Yet, consistent with the cultural perception of dissociative symptoms, the participants subjectively did not associate dissociative symptoms with potentially traumatizing events. In conclusion, spirit possession deserves more interest as a possible idiom of distress and a culture-specific expression of dissociation related to potential traumatizing events.

/pdf/dissociative-symptoms-and-reported-trauma-among-patients-4mtode3gdi.pdf

Dissociative Symptoms and Reported Trauma Among Patients with Spirit Possession and Matched Healthy Controls in Uganda

A long asylum procedure is associated with higher prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders, lower quality of life, higher disability and more physical health problems. Additional knowledge about health seeking behavior is necessary to guide governments and health professionals in their policies. To measure service use among one of the biggest asylum seekers population in the Netherlands and to assess its relationships with predisposing and need variables (including post-migration living problems). Two groups were randomly selected: Group 1 (n = 143), less than 6 months and Group 2 (n = 151), more than 2 years in the Netherlands. Respondents were interviewed with fully structured, culturally validated, translated questionnaires, which contained instruments to measure psychiatric disorders, quality of life, disability, physical health and post-migration living problems. Use of preventive and curative (physical and mental) health services was measured and the relationship with predisposing and need risk factors was estimated with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. A long asylum procedure is not associated with higher service use, except for mental health service use and drug use. Use of mental health services is, however, low compared to the prevalence of psychiatric disorders. Low quality of perceived general health and functional disability are the most important predictors of services use. Psychopathology predicts use of a medical specialist (non-psychiatrist), but does not predict mental health service use. A high percentage of asylum seekers with a psychiatric disorder is not getting adequate treatment. There is a mismatch between the type of health problem and the type of health service use. The various health services should work together in education, detection, referral and care in order to provide help to this group of patients.

/pdf/prevalence-and-predictors-of-health-service-use-among-iraqi-4wli62opjf.pdf

Prevalence and predictors of health service use among Iraqi asylum seekers in the Netherlands

Rationale Microsomal antibodies have been related to postpartum thyroid dysfunction and postpartum depression. Objectives To detect the value of microsomal antibodies during gestation in a random population, as a risk factor for thyroid dysfunction and depression during the postpartum period. Main findings The presence of microsomal antibodies was investigated in a random population of 293 women at 32 weeks' gestation. At the same time, postpartum thyroid function was assessed repeatedly in all women every six weeks up to 34 weeks' postpartum. Postpartum thyroid dysfunction, defined as the presence of abnormal TSH, in combination with abnormal fT4 and/or fT3 values, occurred in 21 women (7.2%) during the postpartum period. Depression was assessed using the Research Diagnostic Criteria without knowing the results of biochemical thyroid function tests. At 32 weeks' gestation there were 27 (9.2%) women with elevated microsomal antibody titres. Compared with microsomal-antibody negative women at 32 weeks' gestation, these women had an RR of 20 for developing postpartum thyroid dysfunction and an RR of 1.7 for developing postpartum depression. Conclusions Women with elevated microsomal antibody titres during gestation are particularly at risk for postpartum thyroid dysfunction, but only have a slightly increased risk for postpartum depression.

Microsomal antibodies during gestation in relation to postpartum thyroid dysfunction and depression

As one article in a series on Global Mental Health Practice, Peter Ventevogel and colleagues provide a case study of their efforts to integrate brief, practice-oriented mental health training into the Afghanistan health care system at a time when the system was being rebuilt from scratch.

/pdf/improving-access-to-mental-health-care-and-psychosocial-bks752ljjq.pdf

Improving access to mental health care and psychosocial support within a fragile context: a case study from Afghanistan.

j Abstract Introduction To explore ethnic differences in psychopathology, this study examined the prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders among different ethnic groups in Amsterdam and determined whether ethnic differences can be explained by sociodemographic differences Methods A populationbased sample of 321 Dutch, 231 Turkish, 191 Moroccan, 87 Surinamese/Antilleans was interviewed by well-trained bilingual interviewers, using the CIDI 21 Educational level and income were used as indicators of socio-economic status Results The weighed 1-month prevalence of depressive and/or anxiety disorders was 66% (Dutch), 187% (Turkish), 98% (Moroccans) and 12 % (Surinamese/Antilleans) Among Moroccans, the prevalence of affective disorders seemed higher in men than in women, among the Turkish the opposite was observed Ethnic differences in prevalence could not be explained by socioeconomic differences Conclusion Turkish women and men and Moroccan men in Amsterdam seem to have a higher risk of current affective disorders Ethnicity is an independent predictor of common mental disorders in the Netherlands

Ivan H. Komproe

Papers

Dissociative Symptoms and Reported Trauma Among Patients with Spirit Possession and Matched Healthy Controls in Uganda

Prevalence and predictors of health service use among Iraqi asylum seekers in the Netherlands

Microsomal antibodies during gestation in relation to postpartum thyroid dysfunction and depression

Improving access to mental health care and psychosocial support within a fragile context: a case study from Afghanistan.

A population based study among native Dutch, and Turkish, Moroccan and Surinamese migrants in Amsterdam