Mental Health Assessment: Breaking New Ground in Colorado
Author: Hovey, Joseph; Magana, Cristina MA
Date Published: 2002
Previous research identified stressors that are commonly experienced by migrant farmworkers in the Midwest. However, due to the qualitative nature of the data in this study the researchers were not able to assess the severity of stress that results from these stressors, nor were they able to directly examine the relationships of migrant farmworker stress to anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. This study developed the Migrant Farmworker Stress Inventory (MFWSI) to address these limitations. The MFWSI items were based on our qualitative data cited above. Although two farmworkers may experience the same stressors with equal frequency, they may not experience the same level of stress. These stressors would have a greater negative effect on the farmworker who cognitively appraised the stressors as more threatening. The MFWSI thus measures both the types of stressors experienced by farmworkers and the severity of stress experienced as the result of these stressors. We piloted the MFWSI in a sample of migrant farmworkers in Michigan. Our pilot data suggest that the MFWSI is a reliable and valid tool for the measurement of migrant farmworker stress. The purposes of the present study are threefold: (1) to further examine the internal reliability and construct validity of the MFWSI in a sample of farmworkers in Western Colorado; (2) to assess the prevalence levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behavior.
Date Published: 2002
Previous research identified stressors that are commonly experienced by migrant farmworkers in the Midwest. However, due to the qualitative nature of the data in this study the researchers were not able to assess the severity of stress that results from these stressors, nor were they able to directly examine the relationships of migrant farmworker stress to anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. This study developed the Migrant Farmworker Stress Inventory (MFWSI) to address these limitations. The MFWSI items were based on our qualitative data cited above. Although two farmworkers may experience the same stressors with equal frequency, they may not experience the same level of stress. These stressors would have a greater negative effect on the farmworker who cognitively appraised the stressors as more threatening. The MFWSI thus measures both the types of stressors experienced by farmworkers and the severity of stress experienced as the result of these stressors. We piloted the MFWSI in a sample of migrant farmworkers in Michigan. Our pilot data suggest that the MFWSI is a reliable and valid tool for the measurement of migrant farmworker stress. The purposes of the present study are threefold: (1) to further examine the internal reliability and construct validity of the MFWSI in a sample of farmworkers in Western Colorado; (2) to assess the prevalence levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behavior.
