Templates, Models, Frameworks, Assessment Tools and Questionnaires

Shona Symptom Questionnaire (SSQ) for mental health

The Shona Symptom Questionnaire (SSQ) for mental health is recognised and used globally to assess mental health. Crucial for social and development workers.

Cite as: Patel, V., Simunyu, E., Gwanzura, F., Lewis, G., & Mann, A.H. (1997). The Shona Symptom Questionnaire: the development of an indigenous measure of common mental disorders in Harare. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 95.

Reflection and Critical Thinking Model and Template

Reflection is a natural, cultural or professional process of thinking about occurrences, behaviours, situations and derive lessons to improve knowledge, interpretations and interventions. When reflection involves deep thinking, it becomes critical reflection or critical thinking. In social work, reflective practice is a process where students or practitioners assess how culture, experiences, policies and knowledges influence their learning or work and use results of the assessment for personal growth, to avoid biases and improve interventions.

Access the model here.

Cite as: Mugumbate, R. J., Nyoni, C. and Maushe, F. (2021). African university students’ struggle with the western approach to reflection:  experiences from a multilevel mentoring project at Bindura University, Zimbabwe. Journal of Development Administration (JDA), 6(2), 80-88. 

Longwe’s Empowerment Framework

The applies to development work, social work, community work, welfare work and gender work. It was primaily developed as a pool to promote empowering work for women and to evaluate such work.

Green Belt Movement (GBM) Development Model

How to develop community

South Africa’s Integrated Framework For Developmental Social
Welfare Services

AU Environmental Model

·       Using the environment to eliminate hunger, malnutrition ·       Using the environment to reduce poverty ·       Using the environment for economic growth ·       Agriculture-led development, for example, increasing productivity and farm incomes ·       Enhance resilience to climate variability through development of disaster preparedness policies and strategies ·       Early warning response systems and social safety nets ·       Funding for environmental work ·       Rural development ·       Improving agriculture research, technology dissemination and adoption ·       Creating institutions focusing on the environment

Model of Environmental Social Work in Africa

Model for environmental social work in Africa

Part of the model	Details
Philosophy	Ubuntu or Hunhu philosophy whose key components are: Importance of families, communities and society The environment is an important resource for food security, health, wellbeing, social justice and economic development. The environment as a heritage that should be protected for passing on to future generations The valuing of indigenous knowledge
Frameworks or models	Continental level frameworks –  African Union model Societal or Country level Community or grassroots frameworks –  Maathai model Family frameworks Global frameworks
Perspectives	Climate change perspective Food security perspective Environmental justice Marginalised and vulnerable populations perspective Social-economic disruption perspective Spiritual perspective Educational or curricula perspective Global emissions perspective   Human rights perspective The sustainability perspective Policy perspective Agriculture perspective Livelihoods perspective

Comprehensive African Mental Health Framework

This framework integrates indigenous understandings and perspectives to come up with interventions in mental health and well-being in African and related contexts.

Domain	Understanding	Perspectives	Interventions
Spiritual	Distress as spiritual misalignment or ancestral calling; a sign that the spiritual “umbilical cord” needs attention.	Spiritual agency: Well-being depends on harmony with ancestors and the divine.	Indigenous healing: Divination, cleansing rituals, and ceremonies to restore spiritual equilibrium.
Communal	Health is a collective state; Ubuntu (“I am because we are”). Isolation is a primary symptom of illness.	Relational personhood: The individual is defined by their connections to family, clan, and community.	Communal support: Grandmother-led benches (Friendship Bench) and peer-led group therapy.
Social	Health as a reflection of one’s actions in society	Social justice: The individual’s just or unjust conduct in society shapes their mental health	Justice: returning and replacing; apologising and reconciling when someone does wrong; it also includes warnings and punishments.
Psychological	Reclaiming identity and internal essence (moya) by grounding in personal and collective history.	Narrative agency: Using metaphors and ceremonies, song and poetry to externalise trauma.	Tree of life: A narrative tool used to “re-author” life stories through a strength-based, collective lens. Ceremonies where people narrate and indulge in connections.
Ecological	Mental health is tied to the land, environment, and one’s place within the “Forest of Life.”	Holistic balance: Health is a state of social, spiritual, and ecological equilibrium.	Pluralistic integration: Collaborative care bridging Indigenous Practitioners with biomedical clinics.
Physical	Mental health tied to the physical body systems	Physical healing	Herbal, dietary and surgical

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Household Hunger Scale

From Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee. (2023). 2023 rural livelihoods assessment: Household questionnaire. Food and Nutrition Council.

1. In the past 30 days, was there ever a day where there was no food to eat of any kind in your house because of lack of resources to get food?

Response codes: 0 = No (if No, skip to question 2). 1 = Yes.

1a. How often did this happen in the past 30 days? 1 = Rarely (1 to 2 times). 2 = Sometimes (3 to 10 times). 3 = Often (more than 10 times).

2. In the past 30 days, did you or any household member go to sleep at night hungry because there was not enough food in the household?

Response codes: 0 = No (if No, skip to question 3). 1 = Yes.

2a. How often did this happen in the past 30 days? 1 = Rarely (1 to 2 times). 2 = Sometimes (3 to 10 times). 3 = Often (more than 10 times).

3. In the past 30 days, did you or any household member go a whole day and night without eating anything at all because there was not enough food in the household?

Response codes: 0 = No (if No, skip to next section). 1 = Yes.

3a. How often did this happen in the past 30 days? 1 = Rarely (1 to 2 times). 2 = Sometimes (3 to 10 times). 3 = Often (more than 10 times).

Household Reduced Consumption Coping Strategies Tool

From Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee. (2023). 2023 rural livelihoods assessment: Household questionnaire. Food and Nutrition Council.

During the last 7 days, were there days (and, if so, how many) when your household had to employ one of the following strategies to cope with a lack of food or money to buy it?

a. Relied on less preferred, less expensive food	__ (number of days, 0 to 7)
b. Borrowed food or relied on help from friends or relatives	__ (number of days, 0 to 7)
c. Reduced the number of meals eaten per day	__ (number of days, 0 to 7)
d. Reduced portion size of meals	__ (number of days, 0 to 7)
e. Restricted consumption by adults in order for small children to eat	__ (number of days, 0 to 7)

Essential Needs Livelihood-Based Coping Strategies Tool

From Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee. (2023). 2023 rural livelihoods assessment: Household questionnaire. Food and Nutrition Council.

1. During the past 30 days, did anyone in your household have to engage in any of the following activities because there were not enough resources (food, cash, other) to access essential needs (e.g. food, shelter, education services, health services, etc.)?

Response codes: 1 = No, because I did not need to. 2 = No, because I already sold those assets or have engaged in this activity within the last 12 months and cannot continue to do it. 3 = Yes. 9 = Not applicable (don’t have access to this strategy).

1.1 Sold household assets/goods (radio, furniture, refrigerator, television, jewellery, etc.)	__
1.2 Sold more animals (non-productive) than usual	__
1.3 Spent savings	__
1.4 Borrowed money	__
1.5 Harvested immature crops (e.g. green maize)	__
1.6 Consumed seed stocks that were to be saved for the next season	__
1.7 Decreased expenditures on fertiliser, pesticide, fodder, animal feed, veterinary care, etc.	__
1.8 Mortgaged/sold house or land	__
1.9 Begged and/or scavenged (asked strangers for money/food)	__
1.10 Sold last female animals	__

2. What are the main reasons you or other members of your household adopted these coping strategies?

Note to enumerator: do not list the options below to the respondent. Instead, mark all those that apply based on the answer given.

Response codes: 1 = To buy food. 2 = To pay for rent. 3 = To pay school/education costs. 4 = To cover health expenses. 5 = To buy non-food items (clothes, small furniture, etc.). 6 = To access water/sanitation facilities. 7 = To access essential dwelling services (electricity, energy, waste disposal, etc.). 8 = To pay existing debts. 9 = Other, specify.

Gender-Based Violence Questionnaire

From Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee. (2023). 2023 rural livelihoods assessment: Household questionnaire. Food and Nutrition Council.

Check for presence of others: do not continue until privacy is ensured and consent granted. 1 = Consent obtained. 2 = Consent not obtained.

Read to the respondent: Let me assure you that your answers are completely confidential and will not be told to anyone, and no one else in your household will know that you were asked these questions. If I ask you any question you don’t want to answer, just let me know and I will go on to the next question.

1. In the last 12 months, has anyone done any of the following things to you: hit you; slapped you; kicked you; threatened or attacked you with a knife, gun or other weapon; or done anything else to hurt you physically?

Response codes: 0 = No. 1 = Yes. 3 = Refused to answer/no answer.

2. If yes, who has hurt you in this way? Probe: anyone else? (Multiple response)

Response options: 1 = Mother/step-mother. 2 = Father/step-father. 3 = Sister/brother. 4 = Daughter/son. 5 = Other relative. 6 = Spouse. 7 = Current boyfriend/girlfriend. 8 = Former boyfriend/girlfriend. 9 = Mother-in-law. 10 = Father-in-law. 11 = Other. 99 = N/A.

3. How often has (this person/have these persons) physically hurt you: often, sometimes, or not at all?

Response codes: 1 = Rare. 2 = Often. 3 = Sometimes.

4. Did you report the case to anyone/organisation?

Response codes: 0 = No. 1 = Yes.

5. If yes, to whom?

Response options: 1 = Police. 2 = One stop centre. 3 = Church. 4 = Relatives/friends. 5 = NGO. 6 = Health facility. 7 = Other (specify).

6. If no, what were the reasons?

Response codes: 1 = Intimidated by the perpetrator. 2 = Was afraid of having the perpetrator sued/jailed. 3 = Forgave him/her. 4 = Was discouraged by friends/relatives. 5 = Distance to where I could report. 6 = Don’t know where to report. 7 = Lack of economic means to travel to where a report could be made. 8 = Lack of transport to get to where a report could be made. 9 = Other (specify).

7. In the last 12 months has anyone done any of the following things to you: physically forced you to have sexual intercourse when you did not want to; physically forced you to perform any other sexual acts you did not want to; or forced you with threats or in any other way to perform any other sexual acts you did not want to?

Response codes: 0 = No. 1 = Yes. 3 = Refused to answer/no answer.

8. If yes, who was the person who forced you into the sexual act you mentioned above? Anyone else? (Multiple response)

Response options: 1 = Current partner. 2 = Former partner. 3 = Mother/father/step-father/step-mother. 4 = Brother/sister/step-brother/step-sister. 5 = Other relative. 6 = Mother-in-law/father-in-law. 7 = Own friend/acquaintance. 8 = Family. 9 = Other. 99 = N/A.

9. Did you report the case to anyone?

Response codes: 0 = No. 1 = Yes.

10. If yes, to whom?

Response options: 1 = Police. 2 = One stop centre. 3 = Church. 4 = Relatives/friends. 5 = NGO. 6 = Health facility. 7 = Other (specify).

11. If no, what were the reasons?

Response options: 1 = Intimidated by the perpetrator. 2 = Was afraid of having the perpetrator sued/jailed. 3 = Forgave him/her. 4 = Was discouraged by friends/relatives. 5 = Other.

12. If yes to questions 1 or 8, did you get any services?

Response codes: 0 = No. 1 = Yes.

13. If yes, from whom did you get the service?

Response options: 1 = Victim friendly unit. 2 = One stop centre. 3 = Church. 4 = Relatives/friends. 5 = NGO. 6 = Shelter. 7 = Health facility. 8 = Other (specify).

14. If no, what was the main reason?

Response options: 1 = Service too far. 2 = Afraid of the perpetrator. 3 = No transport. 4 = Could not afford the service. 5 = Not necessary. 6 = Other (specify).

Spousal Violence Questionnaire

From Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee. (2023). 2023 rural livelihoods assessment: Household questionnaire. Food and Nutrition Council.

Now I need to ask some more questions about your relationship with your (spouse/partner). If not currently in a union, refer to the previous spouse/partner.

Gender of respondent: 1 = Male. 2 = Female.

For each item below, the four questions asked are: (1) In the last 12 months, did your spouse/partner (or previous spouse/partner) ever do this? (2) How often has this person physically hurt you: often, sometimes, or not at all? (3) Did you have to seek medical attention as a result of such physical/sexual violence? (4) To whom did you report this incident of physical/sexual violence?

a. Sexually abused you

(e.g. physically forced you to have sexual intercourse with him when you did not want to; physically forced you to perform any other sexual acts you did not want to; forced you with threats or in any other way to perform sexual acts you did not want to.)

1. Did this happen	0 = No. 1 = Yes.
2. How often	1 = Often. 2 = Sometimes. 3 = Not in the last 12 months.
3. Sought medical attention	0 = No. 1 = Yes.
4. Reported to	1 = Police. 2 = Church. 3 = Relatives/friends. 4 = NGO. 5 = Health facility. 6 = No one. 7 = Other.

b. Physically abused you

(e.g. pushed you, shook you, or threw something at you; slapped you; twisted your arm or pulled your hair; punched you with his fist or with something that could hurt you; kicked you, dragged you, or beat you up; tried to choke you or burn you on purpose.)

1. Did this happen	0 = No. 1 = Yes.
2. How often	1 = Often. 2 = Sometimes. 3 = Not in the last 12 months.
3. Sought medical attention	0 = No. 1 = Yes.
4. Reported to	1 = Police. 2 = Church. 3 = Relatives/friends. 4 = NGO. 5 = Health facility. 6 = No one. 7 = Other.

c. Emotionally abused you

(e.g. threatened or attacked you with a knife, gun, or other weapon; verbally abused you; deprived you of physical needs in order to punish you.)

1. Did this happen	0 = No. 1 = Yes.
2. How often	1 = Often. 2 = Sometimes. 3 = Not in the last 12 months.
3. Sought medical attention	0 = No. 1 = Yes.
4. Reported to	1 = Police. 2 = Church. 3 = Relatives/friends. 4 = NGO. 5 = Health facility. 6 = No one. 7 = Other.

d. Economically abused you

(e.g. deprived you of money to buy basic commodities for you or your children.)

1. Did this happen	0 = No. 1 = Yes.
2. How often	1 = Often. 2 = Sometimes. 3 = Not in the last 12 months.
3. Sought medical attention	0 = No. 1 = Yes.
4. Reported to	1 = Police. 2 = Church. 3 = Relatives/friends. 4 = NGO. 5 = Health facility. 6 = No one. 7 = Other.