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*Kessler Psychological Distress Scale K6*
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Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
last updated: 07-27-2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC
Script Copyright © 07-27-2023 Millisecond Software
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BACKGROUND INFO
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This script implements the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale K6.
The implemented procedure is based on:
Reference:
Kessler, R.C., Barker, P.R., Colpe, L.J., Epstein, J.F., Gfroerer, J.C., Hiripi, E., Howes, M.J, Normand, S-L.T.,
Manderscheid, R.W., Walters, E.E., Zaslavsky, A.M. (2003).
Screening for serious mental illness in the general population Archives of General Psychiatry. 60(2), 184-189
https://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/ncs/k6_scales.php
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OVERVIEW
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Scored question: Question1 with 6 5-point Likert questions scored on scale 0-4
several additional questions that do not contribute to the total score
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DURATION
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the default set-up of the script takes appr. 1.5 minutes to complete
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DATA OUTPUT DICTIONARY
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The fields in the data files are:
(1) Raw data file: 'k6.iqdat'
date, time: date and time script was run with the current group/subjectnumber
subject, group, session: with the current subject/groupnumber/session id
build: the Inquisit build
q*_response: response given (in assigned values)
Scale: q1a-q1f (the main 6 questions) are scored on a scale 0 (none of the time) - 4 (all of the time)
q2: 1 ('more often than usual: a lot') to 7 ('less often than usual: a lot')
q3-q4: number of days
q5: number of times
q6: 1 ('all of the time') to 5 ('none of the time)
NO reversed scored questions
q*_latency: how much time (in ms) the participant spent on the surveyPage with this particular
question (the last time this particular surveyPage was visited)
(2) Summary data file: 'k6_summary.iqdat' (Inquisit Lab: one data file per participant)
inquisit.version: Inquisit version run
computer.platform: the platform the script was run on (win/mac/ios/android)
startDate: date script was run
startTime: time script was started
subjectId: assigned subject id number
groupId: assigned group id number
sessionId: assigned session id number
elapsedTime: time it took to run script (in ms); measured from onset to offset of script
completed: 0 = script was not completed (prematurely aborted);
1 = script was completed (all conditions run)
k6TotalScore: the sum of questions q1a-q1f (scored on scale 0 'none of the time' to 4 'all of the time)
Range: 0-24
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QUESTIONNAIRE SET-UP & SCORING
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The scored questions in this survey are q1a-q1f. The additional questions do not contribute to scoring.
