SVHM/STAGE-28 Mental Health Portal

Information on Scores

DEPRESSION

Low = 0-9; High = 14-27

Depression was measured by a scale called the PHQ-9. It is widely-used in psychological research and was used here to allow us to compare ‘like-with-like’. In other words, we can compare your depression scores to that of other people in research studies that used it.

The PHQ-9 has a range of scores from 0-27 so take a look at yours. Higher scores reflect more depressive symptoms. Following the ‘traffic light’ risk system of risk if your score is recorded in red your score has passed a cutoff score used to identify someone said to be depressed.

Remember, if we all have good days and bad days one red score does NOT mean you have a mental disorder. It is more accurate to say that when you completed it your scores were close to those of someone with a diagnosis of depression.

ANXIETY

Low = 0-9; High = 14-21

Anxiety was measured by a scale called the GAD-7. Like the PHQ-9 it is also widely used in research hence including it here.

The GAD-7 has a range of scores from 0-21. Higher scores mean more anxiety symptoms and when the highest level is reached your score is recorded in red, in keeping with the traffic-light system of risk. If your score for ‘Anxiety’ is red it means you reported a similar number and frequency of symptoms as someone who experiences a range of anxiety symptom, phobias or panic. It does NOT mean you have a mental disorder, only that your scores are in the same region as someone who probably has. With life’s ups-and-downs it might be misleading to look at one score at one time and draw serious conclusions about it.

BURNOUT

Lower scores 10-20 = little burnout; Higher scores 35-50 = increasing burnout

Burnout was measured on a subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQol). The ProQol is widely used in health and emergency occupations making it suitable for use in the context at St Vincent’s Hospital. Using a scale that has been used elsewhere allows a direct comparison between medical staff at SVHM and others reported in the studies that used the ProQol. The prospect of increasing and enduring cases of Covid-19 make the likelihood of Burnout due to additional demands an important item to measure.

FATIGUE

Lower scores 10-20 = low fatigue; Higher scores 35-50 = increasing fatigue

Fatigue is defined as “an experience of tiredness, dislike of present activity, and unwillingness to continue”, or as a “disinclination to continue performing the task at hand and a progressive withdrawal of attention” from environmental demands. As a gradual and cumulative process, fatigue reflects vigilance decrement and decreased capacity to perform, along with subjective states that are associated with this decreased performance.

https://www.wasog.org/educational-material/fatigue-assessment-scale.html

As a condition that might threaten the performance of life-preserving and life-saving actions in Covid-affected medical environments Fatigue is included here.

GROWTH

Low scores = few positive changes in outlook, higher scores = more positive changes in outlook with scores ranging from 11-66.

Growth (more specifically posttraumatic growth) is associated with changes in a person’s outlook after experiencing something distressing and unwanted. Adversity in life often forces changes in attitudes, abilities and anticipating the future. Growth is measured here with the positive scale of the Changes in Outlook Questionnaire.

More information can be found here:

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Ft00057-000

Contacts and Resources

STARS peer support team – (switchboard) 03 9231 2211
Access Staff Employee Assistance Program
Your family doctor or community health centre
Private counsellor/practitioner
SVHM Staff Medical Centre – 9953 3762
Victorian Doctors Health Program – 9280 8712
Nurse and Midwife Support – 1800 667 877
Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636
Sane Australia – 1800 18 7263
Crisis Intervention Management Australasia – (CIMA) www.cima.org.au
Phoenix Australia – 9035-5599
Lifeline – 13 11 14
Grief line – 1300 845745
1800RESPECT – Counselling for support in domestic violence situations