The design and validation of the Mental Health in Schools Questionnaire (MHISQ): A measure designed for typically developing and Special Educational Needs pupils

Abstract

The prevalence of poor mental health among children and young people has become an increasing concern and schools are said to be amongst the best settings to promote positive mental health. It is also known that there has been a large increase in children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) attending mainstream schools in comparison to previous years, given the advances in the understanding of diagnoses such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia. Mental health difficulties have become a concern not only for typically developing children, but also children with SEN, who experience exacerbated difficulties within the setting. One method that can help teachers to identify children with potential mental health difficulties is the use of screening tools, which can ultimately lead to early, successful interventions being implemented. However, no such measurement tools exist inclusive of both typically developing pupils and pupils with SEN. The aim of the current study was to design and validate a new measure of mental health for use in mainstream primary and secondary schools, which is also appropriate for use with those with SEN (the MHISQ). A total of 185 participants took part from mainstream primary and secondary schools and the sample included pupils, teachers, and parents. The MHISQ shows strong convergent validity with other measures in relation to psychological well-being, mood, anxiety and depression. It also shows good internal consistency, test–retest reliability and inter-rater reliability. Finally, the MHISQ also has good levels of specificity and sensitivity. The MHISQ was built upon a triangulation of robust findings, including qualitative interviews, mathematical modelling, and a systematic literature review and forms the basis of a robust measure of school-based mental health which is free-for-use and validated for ages eight to 16.