Evaluation of Psychosocial Problems Among African University Students in Uganda: Development and Validation of a Screening Instrument

Abstract

Establishing the nature of psychosocial problems for effective intervention through quantitative assessment by university counselors in Uganda is impeded for lack of instruments that are developed or validated in their own environments or they are too costly on the market. This has left many vulnerable university students and the university mental health very much compromised. The aim of the study was to develop a psychometrically sound psychosocial instrument that could be used to identify psychosocial problems among university students for professional intervention. An exploratory, cross-sectional study employing random sampling technique with both qualitative and quantitative approaches was used in the development and validation of the instrument. Respondents from university students and key informants were involved. The resulting 17-item USEPP (University Students Evaluation of Psychosocial Problems) was interpreted as a four dimensional measure of psychosocial problems namely, emotional, concerns, trauma experiences, antisocial behavior, and academic concerns among university students. USEPP cut off point was established at 18 and it reported sensitivity at 99.1% (95% CI = 95-100), specificity at 98.03% (95% CI = 96-99) p < 0.0001, +PV = 95, -PV = 96. AUC (area under curve) = 0.997. It has an internal consistency of 0.81. It was validated with HSCL-10 a psychological distress instrument. The validation indicated that USEPP measures psychosocial factors, it discriminates university students with or without psychosocial problems and that it can predict psychological distress. USEPP may be used to screen for psychosocial problems among university students for early intervention and for research purposes.