A factor analytic evaluation of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 among veterans presenting to a generalist mental health clinic

Minden B Sexton; Margaret T Davis; Rebecca K Lusk; Mark Lyubkin; Stephen T Chermack

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2019.01.008

A factor analytic evaluation of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 among veterans presenting to a generalist mental health clinic

Psychiatry Res. 2019 Feb:272:638-642. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.01.008. Epub 2019 Jan 3.

Authors

Minden B Sexton¹, Margaret T Davis², Rebecca K Lusk³, Mark Lyubkin³, Stephen T Chermack³

Affiliations

¹ VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Mental Health Service (116C), 2215 Fuller Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA; University of Michigan Medical School, Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, 4250 Plymouth Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: minden.sexton@va.gov.
² VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Mental Health Service (116C), 2215 Fuller Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA; University of Michigan Medical School, Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, 4250 Plymouth Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Yale University, Yale Translational Brain Imaging Program, 2 Church St. South, Suite 314, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.
³ VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Mental Health Service (116C), 2215 Fuller Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA; University of Michigan Medical School, Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, 4250 Plymouth Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

PMID: 30616134
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.01.008

Abstract

The shift from a multiaxial system of diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) brought forth the discontinuation of the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). DSM-5 proposes the use of a more reliable method for assessing and describing disability, the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). The WHODAS 2.0 is widely-used within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Veterans Benefits Administration to guide clinical decision making and assist in decisions pertaining to financial compensation. While the WHODAS 2.0 purports to be well-validated for adults cross-culturally in clinical and non-clinical samples, research is limited pertaining to the factor structure of the WHODAS 2.0 in non-compensation seeking U.S. Veteran populations. This study evaluated the factor structure of the WHODAS 2.0 in a sample of 464 Veterans receiving VA mental healthcare. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the WHODAS 2.0 data were conducted. Analyses confirmed the hardiness of the WHODAS 2.0 for use with Veterans. However, exploratory analyses pointed to several items that may reduce the functioning of the questionnaire in clinical Veteran samples. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses indicated better model fit can be achieved.

Keywords: Functioning; Psychometric; Validity.

Published by Elsevier B.V.

Publication types

Evaluation Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adult
Ambulatory Care Facilities / standards
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Disability Evaluation*
Disabled Persons / psychology*
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Humans
Male
Mental Health / standards*
Mental Health Services / standards*
Middle Aged
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States / epidemiology
Veterans / psychology*
World Health Organization*
Young Adult

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding