Measuring psychosocial wellbeing, social emotional, literacy and numeracy outcomes in crisis contexts: Lessons from Niger and Burkina Faso

• In Event: Supporting children’s mental health, psychosocial wellbeing, social, emotional and academic learning outcomes in crises

Proposal

This paper presents results from the Holistic Assessment Tool (HAT), a combined measure including literacy, numeracy, and social and emotional learning (Krupar & D’Sa, 2024) and a new mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) battery of questions. We defined MHPSS as any type of local or outside support that aims to protect or promote psychosocial wellbeing and/or prevent or treat mental disorders (Nguyen, et al., 2023). The authors present the results of psychometrically testing the MHPSS questions and developing domains. Domains were then correlated with literacy, numeracy, and SEL skills to identify the relationship of the variables.

HAT was developed by building on the Holistic Assessment of Learning Development Outcomes (HALDO), which measures literacy, numeracy, SEL and executive functioning, with additional questions about MHPSS. MHPSS questions were developed with MHPSS technical experts and context experts in Francophone West Africa, specifically Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Niger, and Sierra Leone.

This study used HAT data from Burkina Faso, the DRC, and Niger spanning 4 assessments sites across the years 2021-2024. We conducted a series of analyses to systematically examine the measurement validity of the HAT MHPSS section and relate emergent domains with learning outcomes. In a first qualitative analysis, we identified 3 main MHPSS domains (Psychological, Psychosocial, Safety) and 13 possible subdomains measured by HAT. Secondly, using factor analysis, we retained 25 items with relatively stable factor loadings, forming 5 MHPSS scales (Institutional Support, Information Seeking, Positive Emotions, Signs of Distress, and Safety). A range of tests including CFA, H coefficient, and correlational analyses with literacy, numeracy, and SEL outcomes show limited and inconsistent validity of the final MHPSS scales across countries. We outline factors possibly explaining these inconsistencies (measurement error, contextual differences, item quality, etc.) and recommend further testing of the proposed final scales with an abridged version of the HAT tool and with an adequate sample size.

Our results underscore the necessity for rigorous qualitative input in item development, as well as quantitative testing to establish validity evidence for measurement tools used with children in crises contexts.

Author

• Stephane Ndayishimiye, Northwestern Kellogg GPRL