175348 Lack of standardized psychological assessments across tribal borders: Implications for public health research with American Indian and Alaska Native populations

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Julii M. Green, MS , Psychology Department-Doctoral Candidate Clinical Psychology/ Adjunct Faculty in Clinical PsyD Program, University of North Dakota /& Alliant International University, La Mesa, CA
Jacqueline S. Gray, PhD , School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Center for Rural Health, Grand Forks, ND
Alana D. Knudson, PhD , School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Center for Rural Health, Grand Forks, ND
Many assessments are used clinically and for research with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations although few are standardized, validated, normed, or examined for cultural appropriateness. With over 560 federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages in the United States and many with small tribal populations this examination is difficult (Bureau of Indian Affairs, 2007). This study examines the published literature addressing assessments, problems arising from the lack of standardized assessments, barriers to developing norms for AI/AN and recommendations to provide as much information as possible to address the needs.

Searches of PubMed, PsychInfo, and Scopus databases from 1974-2007 identified 94 articles addressing AI/AN assessment, testing, and psychometrics. Keywords included American Indian, Alaska Native, clinical measures, standardized tests, validity, reliability, psychological testing, psychometric properties, anxiety scales, and depression scales. Analysis of abstracts included types of assessments, number of participants, AI/AN identification, and age of participants. Articles were further categorized into four groups based on the content: Educational Tests (N=24), Diagnostic/Clinical Tests (N= 25), Personality Tests (N=10), and Other (tests not fitting within the previous three; N=35).

Studies of various instruments included less than adequate sample sizes (e.g. N= 1) bringing into question the validity for AI/AN and how constructs were identified and measured regarding Native cultures (Allen, 1998). Recommendations include the development of a common database of AI/AN related publications, encouraging the publishing of normative data on assessments used with Indian Health Services (IHS/Tribes) and increasing the research related to AI/AN populations.

Learning Objectives:
1. Recognize the need for developing standardized instruments that reflect norms for American Indian and Alaska Native populations. 2. Identify barriers to public health research and treatment with regards to American Indian and Alaska Native populations when standardized assessments are not available to healthcare communities. 3. Develop ways to improve psychological measures such that American Indian and Alaska Native norms can be established.

Keywords: American Indians, Alaska Natives

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am one of the primary investigators on this project. I reviewed the literature and contributed to a significant amount of the research to be presented.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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