What is the DATAMIND Mental Health Measures Map?
Mental health research studies often collect similar information using different questionnaires, scales and assessment tools. While differences in measures and how data are collected can make it difficult to compare findings, combine datasets or undertake large-scale analyses.
The DATAMIND Mental Health Measures Map has been developed to provide an overview of the measures currently used across the DATAMIND ecosystem, beginning with the Core Mental Health Dataset (CMHDS) and the Mental Health Platform Hubs. This work identifies areas of commonality and variation across studies, highlighting where measures are already aligned and where opportunities for harmonisation exist.
The map brings together measures covering mental health symptoms, physical health, social and environmental factors, digital and real-time data, and wellbeing. By making this information openly available, DATAMIND aims to support researchers, study teams and data custodians in selecting measures, understanding existing datasets and designing future studies.
Why does this matter?
-Improves comparability: Identifying common measures enables findings to be compared across studies and populations.
-Supports data harmonisation: Greater consistency in data collection facilitates pooled analyses and meta-analyses.
-Enables data linkage and reuse: Understanding how variables are measured helps researchers use existing datasets more effectively.
-Reduces participant burden: Encouraging the use of established measures can avoid unnecessary duplication of questionnaires.
-Supports FAIR data principles: Standardised measures improve the findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability of mental health data.
-Guides future study design: Researchers can use the map to inform measure selection and align new studies with existing initiatives.
How to use the Mental Health Measures Map:
- The database opens grouped by Domain, with measures listed alphabetically within each group.
- Use the Search box (top right) to find a specific measure, condition or keyword.
- Use the Filters button (highlighted green on top bar) to refine the list by domain, coverage & disease.
- Where applicable, links to the full questionnaires are included.
- Click ‘view larger version’ on bottom right to open full screen version in new tab.
- For a detailed MHP Hubs view, click ‘Views’ on the top left and select ‘MHP Hubs’.
- To return to the default view, simply refresh the page.
We welcome contributions from researchers, cohorts and studies interested in making their mental health measures more visible and accessible to a wider research community. If your study collects mental health, wellbeing, social or related measures and you would like to contribute to this resource, please get in touch with the DATAMIND team.
This is a living resource that will continue to grow over time. As we map additional initiatives across the DATAMIND ecosystem, the Measures Map will be regularly expanded. The next phase will include initiatives such as Mental Health Goals Programmes, NCMH and Our Future Health, with further studies added as they become available, supporting an increasingly connected and harmonised mental health data landscape.
