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Validation of an Australian sign language instrument of outcome
measurement for adults in mental health settings





OBJECTIVE: There are currently no adult mental health outcome measures
that have been translated into Australian sign language (Auslan).
Without a valid and reliable Auslan outcome measure, empirical research
into the efficacy of mental health interventions for sign language users
is unattainable. To address this research problem the Outcome Rating
Scale (ORS), a measure of general functioning, was translated into
Auslan and recorded on to digital video disk for use in clinical
settings. The purpose of the present study was therefore to examine the
reliability, validity and acceptability of an Auslan version of the ORS
(ORS-Auslan).



METHOD: The ORS-Auslan was administered to 44 deaf people who use Auslan
as their first language and who identify as members of a deaf community
(termed 'Deaf' people) on their first presentation to a mental health or
counselling facility and to 55 Deaf people in the general community. The
community sample also completed an Auslan version of the Depression
Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21).



RESULTS: t-Tests indicated significant differences between the mean
scores for the clinical and community sample. Internal consistency was
acceptable given the low number of items in the ORS-Auslan. Construct
validity was established by significant correlations between total
scores on the DASS-21-Auslan and ORS-Auslan. Acceptability of ORS-Auslan
was evident in the completion rate of 93% compared with 63% for
DASS-21-Auslan.



CONCLUSIONS: This is the only Auslan outcome measure available that can
be used across a wide variety of mental health and clinical settings.
The ORS-Auslan provides mental health clinicians with a reliable and
valid, brief measure of general functioning that can significantly
distinguish between clinical and non-clinical presentations for members
of the Deaf community.





Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2009 Apr;43(4):332-9.

Munro L, Rodwell J.





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