Age and the Measurement of Mental Health
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TL;DR
The data support the position that measurement of mental health is a formidable task; responses and scores are affected by multiple factors, not age alone; and these factors interrelate.
Abstract
Data from a sample of 1441 community-dwelling respondents were analyzed to determine whether there are age related differences in their responses to instruments used to measure mental health. Few differences were noted. The data support the position that measurement of mental health is a formidable task; responses and scores are affected by multiple factors, not age alone; and these factors interrelate. Varying degrees of correlation were found between the instruments used, confirming that the instruments measure similar but not identical aspects of mental health. Measurements must take into account various dimensions to avoid the pitfalls of a simple test or approach.