Examining the Impact of a Peer-Provided Psychoeducational Program for Parents: NAMI Basics

Parental Stress Scale (PSS). The PSS (Berry & Jones, 1995) is a self-report measure that assesses the level of stress experienced by caregivers and includes both positive and negative aspects of parenting. The measure is designed to assess changes in parental stress and changes in parenting capacity for parents who have access to services and targeted support. It consists of 18 items measured on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The items are statements about typical interactions with the child, both positive and negative, and caregivers must indicate the extent to which the agree or disagree with the statements.

Parent-Self-Competence Expectancies Efficacy Knowledge Self-Care (P-SEEKS). The PSEEKS (Olin, Kutash, & Hoagwood, N.d.) is a self-report measure that assesses parent self-efficacy and activation for parents of children with mental health needs. It is designed to capture changes in the area of self-efficacy for parents receiving targeted services or support. It includes measures across 6 domains: positive expectations about activation, self-competence, confidence and affirmation of parent role, self-care skills related to personal well-being, knowledge of formal mental health systems, knowledge of information networks and supports, and mental health services self-efficacy and the confidence to act. It consists of 31 items measured on 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree).

Youth Outcome Questionnaire (Burlingame, Wells, Hoag, et al., 2012; Y-OQ 2.01). The Y-OQ is a measure completed by caregivers to assess child treatment progress while receiving intervention. It is designed to be used with caregivers of children ages 4-17 and to capture total amount of distress experienced by the child. It consists of 64 items and caregivers must rate how frequently the described child behaviors occur. Rating options are: never or almost never, rarely, sometimes, sometimes, or always or almost always. The Y-OQ is published by OQ Measures and has been widely used in research studies.

Family Problem Solving and Communication Scale. The Family Problem Solving and Communication Scale (McCubbin, McCubbin & Thompson, 1998) is a self-report measure used to assess family problem solving and communication style. It consists of 10 items, and caregivers must rate statements about their family's problem solving and communication style as False, Mostly False, Mostly True, or True.

The Short Service Assessment for Children and Adolescents- Brief (ShortSACA). The ShortSACA is a measure completed by an interviewer and caregivers to assess a child's use of mental health and social services. This includes the duration, type, frequency, and costs of services used, and includes both school-based and court-services. This tool has been widely used and studied (see Horowitz et al., 2001; Stiffman et al. 2000; Hoagwood et al., 2000). The ShortSACA is a shortened version of the full-length SACA and contains 30 items reflecting use of services over a period of time. This tool has been modified for this study to allow caregivers to complete the measure independently. The measure used for this study contains 28 items.

Parent Attitudes Towards Psychological Services Inventory (PATPSI). The PATPSI (Turner, 2012) is a self-report measure that assesses caregiver attitudes towards outpatient mental health services. It measures help-seeking attitudes, intentions and mental health stigma. This measure consists of 26 items measured on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). (pre-intervention and post-intervention)

NAMI Basics Program Evaluation. This measure assesses satisfaction with participation in the NAMI Basics course, solicits information from caregivers about how the program could be improved, and collects basic demographic information. It consists of 24 items total. The questionnaire includes 14 statements about the program and caregiver confidence in managing various situations. Caregivers are asked to rate these statements as on Likert-type scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The measure also includes 5 open-ended questions where caregivers are asked for their impression of the program, and any suggestion for improvement. Finally, the measure includes 5 questions which collect basic demographic information such as age, gender, race/ethnicity and how they were first referred to the NAMI Basics course.