Skip to main content

Table 5 Individual and cluster-level variables available for multivariable analysis

From: The PULSAR Specialist Care protocol: a stepped-wedge cluster randomized control trial of a training intervention for community mental health teams in recovery-oriented practice

Variable

Description

Individual level

 Demographics

  Sex

Sex of consumer.

  Age

Age of consumer at survey completion date.

  Country of birth

Country of birth of consumer.

  Year of arrival

Year of arrival in Australia if born overseas

  Ethnicity

Ethnic or cultural group that the consumer identifies with.

  Main language

Main language spoken at home.

  Marital Status

Marital status of consumer.

  Children

Number and age of any children.

  Living situation

Current living situation of consumer.

  Education

Education level of the consumer.

  Highest qualification

Highest qualification attained by the consumer.

  Mental health service use

Length of time consumer has used mental health services.

 Health economics

  Employment

Current working status of the consumer.

  Income

Usual weekly income of consumer, after tax, from all sources of employment and all sources excluding paid work.

  Days out of role

Number of days in the past month that the consumer was totally or partly unable to carry out normal activities because of mental health problems.

  Days absent from work

Number of days in the past month that the consumer was absent from work due to illness or disability, and due to mental health problems.

  Medication information

Prescription and non-prescription medications taken regularly by the consumer.

  Hospitalizations

Number of hospital admissions for physical problems and for mental health problems, including number of nights in total and reasons for most recent admissions.

  Consultations with health professionals

Number and length of consultations with health professionals for physical health and mental health problems.

 Other

‘Other’ measures that are listed as 9 to 15 in Table 4 above may be investigated as independent variables when relevant. For example, the primary outcome recovery (QPR) scores may be explored for associations with the individual-level scores on the Cohesion Ladder.

Cluster level

  Cluster group

Allocated to receive the intervention at either Step 1 or Step 2.

  Intervention status (0/1)

A lag time of 6 months is anticipated until intervention effects are possible. The intervention status variable indicates that this lag time has passed.

  Dosage (%)

Intervention dosage.

  Time since intervention

All data are time-stamped in relation to the time the intervention was received at the cluster. Time value of “0” is given for the plus/minus 3 months from date of training; “1” for 4-to-6 months post training; “2” for 7-to-9 months post training, etc. Time value of “-1” for 4-to-6 months before training; “-2” for 7-to-9 months before training, etc.

  Time

Study month that survey was completed: “1” = month 1, “2” = month 2, etc.

Cluster types - stratification variables, see Table 2

 Crisis assessment & treatment team

 Mobile support and treatment service or Community Care Unit

 Community Mental Health Service

 Continuing Care team

 PARC residential facility (Mind Australia)

 PARC residential facility (Ermha)

 Community outreach service