Paul Bolton, Ellen Mathys, Nancy Mock. Washington, D.C, World Vision, Johns Hopkins University. CERTI Project. New Orleans, Payson Center for International Development and Technology Transfer, Tulane University, August 2000.

The method we tested in Rwanda designed for use with various clinical mental health indicators. For this first trial we chose to study Depression as an indicator of the effects of mental trauma, and to study only adults. We assessed Depression using a version of the well-known Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL), which has been used among many populations. We chose Depression because there is agreement on its basic form, it represents the most severely affected persons, and because it has been studied in a variety of situations and cultures. We chose it over Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (the other major clinical indicator of the severe effects of trauma) because it occurs in situations other than trauma, and so our findings would have implications beyond populations affected by trauma. Controversy continues about the use of these and other Western clinical mental health indicators in non-Western cultures. This is partly due to the failure of workers using these indicators to adequately validate them prior to use, thereby leaving the question of their appropriateness unanswered. Therefore, a vital component of this method is preliminary investigation of the local validity of these indicators.

A Rapid Assessment of Mental Health Needs, and Available Resources (RAMH) must be organised as quickly as possible during the emergency phase. The RAMH tool is applicable and can be used to evaluate needs and available resources. This RAMH should within seven to ten days collect the qualitative and basic quantitative information necessary to design and start an emergency response. It must provide reasonably accurate general information on the mental health needs and resources of the communities concerned.