Measuring psychological distress using the K10 in Kenya.

Journal: Journal of affective disorders

Volume: 303

Issue: 

Year of Publication: 2022

Affiliated Institutions:  Centre for Clinical Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya. Electronic address: longeri@kemri.org. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at Broad Institute, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA. Neuroscience Department, Kenya Medical Research Institute - Wellcome Trust Research Program, Kilifi, Kenya; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. Department of Mental Health, Moi University School of Medicine, Eldoret, Kenya; Department of Internal Medicine, Medical College East Africa, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya. Department of Mental Health, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at Broad Institute, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; The Chester M. Pierce, MD Division of Global Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Abstract summary 

The Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) is a brief screening tool that assesses psychological distress in both clinical and epidemiological settings. Despite wide applicability of the K10 globally, there are no data on psychometric properties of the K10 in Kenya. This study investigated the reliability, factor structure, and construct validity of the K10 as a measure of psychological distress among adults in Kenya.A total of 2556 adults attending 11 outpatient clinics in the western and coastal regions of Kenya without a history or clinical diagnosis of psychotic disorders were included. Data were collected on demographic characteristics of the participants and the K10. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity and factor structures of the K10 were evaluated using both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approaches.The mean K10 score was 3.4 and Cronbach's alpha was 0.85, indicating good internal consistency (reliability). EFA resulted in a two-factor solution that accounted for 67.6% of variance. CFA results indicated that a unidimensional model with correlated errors best fit the data.The K10 was only administered to a control group of our study population, which had low levels of psychological distress.The K10 has good construct validity and reliability for use as a broad measure of psychological distress in Kenyan adults and may be useful in general medical setting to assess anxiety and depressive disorders.

Authors & Co-authors:  Ongeri Ametaj Kim Stroud Newton Kariuki Atwoli Kwobah Gelaye

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations :  Abe H, Hidaka N, Kawagoe C, Odagiri K, Watanabe Y, Ikeda T, Ishizuka Y, Hashiguchi H, Takeda R, Nishimori T, Ishida Y. Prenatal psychological stress causes higher emotionality, depression-like behavior, and elevated activity in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. Neurosci Res. 2007;59:145–151. doi: 10.1016/j.neures.2007.06.1465.
Authors :  9
Identifiers
Doi : 10.1016/j.jad.2022.02.012
SSN : 1573-2517
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Adult
Other Terms
Confirmatory factor analysis;Exploratory factor analysis;K10;Kenya;Psychological distress;Psychometric properties
Study Design
Study Approach
Country of Study
Kenya
Publication Country
Netherlands