Recalibrating the Scales: Enhancing Ethnographic Uses of Standardized Mental Health Instruments

Abstract

This article reflects on the narrative data that can emerge through the use of standardized mental health scales, drawing from two studies related to emotional distress among immigrant populations in Texas. In both studies, standardized scales complemented in-depth interviews. The initial goal in using scales was to collect quantifiable data, yet through the research process, the scales also served to elicit complementary narratives that enhanced interview data, forcing the researchers to reconsider the potential uses of scales. In thinking about the ethnographic potential of standardized scales, the goal of this article is twofold. First, based on our findings, it presents methodological considerations for how to use scales in a way that can facilitate the emergence of in-depth responses that complement other ethnographic methods. Second, although the scope of data collected and analyzed utilizing scales is most often limited to quantitative data, this research demonstrates a need to more fully consider other forms of data that may emerge from using scales. Thus, this article reflects on three inter-related areas where scales provided ethnographic data, using examples from two studies. Overall, this research shows that scales have more ethnographic potential than what has typically been recognized.