Bahar Hashemi1,2, Sara Ali1, Rania Awaad3, Laila Soudi4, Lawrence Housel2, Stephen J Sosebee2. 1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Muslims and Mental Health Lab, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, 401 Quarry Rd Ste 2206, MC 5723, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. 2. Palestine Children's Relief Fund, Medical Advisory Board, Kent, USA. 3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Muslims and Mental Health Lab, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, 401 Quarry Rd Ste 2206, MC 5723, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. rawaad@stanford.edu. 4. Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: War-torn populations are often hard to screen for mental health disorders. Classical data collection approaches, such as paper-based, online, or SMS-operated, are either infeasible or lack accuracy due to a variety of challenges associated with dynamics and consequences of war. METHODS: In this paper, we introduce a novel approach for accurate and fast screening using free open-source software, Open Data Kit (ODK) mobile application. This approach was developed by the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) to assess the mental health symptoms of 986 Palestinian children (age 6-18) in the aftermath of Israel's Operation Protective Edge (OPE) in 2014. The organization developed assessment questionnaires and trained local field workers on the use of the mobile application, and on recruiting and interviewing war victims. RESULTS: War-affected children were found to suffer from several alarming symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and somatic symptoms. Children with highest number of psychological symptoms were referred for further evaluation and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ODK mobile technologies facilitated efficient screening of affected children in war zones. The offline data collection capability was crucial for handling the difficult conditions associated with war-torn areas, enabling timely intervention for urgent cases. Further applications of the novel mobile technology are to be explored.
BACKGROUND: War-torn populations are often hard to screen for mental health disorders. Classical data collection approaches, such as paper-based, online, or SMS-operated, are either infeasible or lack accuracy due to a variety of challenges associated with dynamics and consequences of war. METHODS: In this paper, we introduce a novel approach for accurate and fast screening using free open-source software, Open Data Kit (ODK) mobile application. This approach was developed by the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) to assess the mental health symptoms of 986 Palestinian children (age 6-18) in the aftermath of Israel's Operation Protective Edge (OPE) in 2014. The organization developed assessment questionnaires and trained local field workers on the use of the mobile application, and on recruiting and interviewing war victims. RESULTS: War-affected children were found to suffer from several alarming symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and somatic symptoms. Children with highest number of psychological symptoms were referred for further evaluation and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ODK mobile technologies facilitated efficient screening of affected children in war zones. The offline data collection capability was crucial for handling the difficult conditions associated with war-torn areas, enabling timely intervention for urgent cases. Further applications of the novel mobile technology are to be explored.
Entities:
Keywords:
Gaza; Mental health screening; ODK; PTSD; War trauma
Authors: Nagendra P Luitel; Mark J D Jordans; Ram P Sapkota; Wietse A Tol; Brandon A Kohrt; Suraj B Thapa; Ivan H Komproe; Bhogendra Sharma Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2012-07-10 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: Mark Jd Jordans; Wietse A Tol; Ivan H Komproe; Dessy Susanty; Anavarathan Vallipuram; Prudence Ntamatumba; Amin C Lasuba; Joop Tvm de Jong Journal: Int J Ment Health Syst Date: 2010-06-16
Authors: Steven Chan; Haley Godwin; Alvaro Gonzalez; Peter M Yellowlees; Donald M Hilty Journal: Curr Psychiatry Rep Date: 2017-10-30 Impact factor: 5.285
Authors: Erica Sood; Amy Jo Lisanti; Sarah E Woolf-King; Jo Wray; Nadine Kasparian; Emily Jackson; Mary R Gregory; Keila N Lopez; Bradley S Marino; Trent Neely; Amy Randall; Sinai C Zyblewski; Cheryl L Brosig Journal: Cardiol Young Date: 2021-06-04 Impact factor: 1.093
Authors: Elizabeth Stewart; Alyssa Milton; Hannah Frances Yee; Michael Jae Song; Anna Roberts; Tracey Davenport; Ian Hickie Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2022-05-12 Impact factor: 7.076
Authors: Nidal Drissi; Sofia Ouhbi; Mohammed Abdou Janati Idrissi; Luis Fernandez-Luque; Mounir Ghogho Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2020-08-28 Impact factor: 5.428