Psychometric comparability of English- and Spanish-language measures of anxiety and related affective symptoms

An array of measures of anxiety and related disorders (viz., Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire; Anxiety Sensitivity Index; Beck Anxiety Inventory; Beck Depression Inventory-II; Body Sensation Questionnaire; Fear Questionnaire; Padua Inventory; Penn State Worry Questionnaire; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Diagnostic Scale; Social Interaction Anxiety Inventory; and Worry Scale) was edited or translated from English into Spanish. Following an extensive edit and translation process, bilingual participants (n = 98) were assessed with the English and Spanish versions of these measures. Coefficient alphas were excellent and comparable across language versions. Means and standard deviations were also comparable across language versions. Evidence of convergent and discriminant validity was found for both language versions. The two language versions of each measure correlated highly with each other. This psychometric comparability adds confidence in using the newly edited or translated Spanish language measures in clinical practice and research.     

A Counselor's Guide to the Assessment of Depression

This article discusses various methods and procedures for assessing depression in clients. The following eight clinician rating and client self-report measures of depression are reviewed on the basis of their psychometric properties and applied pragmatic utility: the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Scale 2 (Depression), the Depression Adjective Checklists, the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist, the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-90, and the Children's Depression Inventory.     

Spanish Adaptation of the Working Alliance Inventory-Short (WAI-S)

The goal of our research was to adapt the short forms of the Working Alliance Inventory into the Spanish language for patients and therapists (WAI-S-P and WAI-S-T). The psychometric properties of scores from these measurement instruments were evaluated in Spanish outpatients with depressive disorders and their therapists. The scores of both measures exhibited excellent reliability in terms of internal consistency and excellent convergent validity. Their discriminant validity exhibited some limitations, particularly when the scores of both short measures correlated with those of two empathy measures. Regarding predictive validity, the scores of the overall WAI-S-P and WAI-S-T significantly correlated with residual gain scores of patients in the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) after the tenth psychotherapy session. Additionally, the overall WAI-S-T scores explained a moderate percentage of the variance in patient BDI score changes. These results are satisfactory and similar to those found in the studies that have utilized the respective original versions of WAI-S in English.     

Advancing Our Knowledge of ADHD in Latino Children: Psychometric and Cultural Properties of Spanish-Versions of Parental/Family Functioning Measures

The lack of available Spanish versions of assessment measures contributes to insufficient research and underutilization of mental health services for Latino children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Thus, the goal of the current study was to examine the psychometric and cultural properties of several Spanish versions of parental/family functioning measures commonly used in comprehensive ADHD assessments (i.e., the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, and Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale). Participants included 68 Spanish-speaking, Latino parents in Southeast Wisconsin. In general, the Spanish translations of the measures demonstrated good reliability and validity. Furthermore, the psychometrically-sound measures were significantly related to acculturation as predicted, suggesting that the scales are not only psychometrically valid, but also culturally valid for use with Spanish-speaking, Latino families.     

The Spanish form of the Death Depression Scale

The aims were to estimate the psychometric properties of the Spanish form of the Death Depression Scale and to compare these with those of other versions of the scale. The Death Depression Scale was administered to a sample of 218 Spanish student nurses, together with Templer's Death Anxiety Scale and measures of general depression and anxiety. The Cronbach coefficient a was 83, and a 4-wk. test-retest correlation was .87. The correlations with scores on other tests were similar to those obtained in former studies. After applying a principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation, four factors with eigenvalues greater than one were identified. These factors were labeled Death Sadness, Death Finality, Meaninglessness of Life, and Feeling of Loss. Generally speaking, the results favour consideration of the Death Depression Scale as a valid and reliable means of assessment among Spanish-speaking individuals.     

A depressive symptom scale for the California Psychological Inventory: construct validation of the CPI-D

To facilitate life span research on depressive symptomatology, a depressive symptom scale for the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) is needed. The authors constructed such a scale (the CPI-D) and compared its psychometric properties with 2 widely used self-report depression scales: the Beck Depression Inventory and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Construct validity of the CPI-D was examined in 3 studies. Study 1 established content validity, classifying CPI-D items into Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition depressive symptoms. Study 2 used 3 large samples to gather evidence for reliability and validity: correlational analyses demonstrated alpha reliability and convergent and discriminant validity; factor analysis provided evidence for discriminant validity with anxiety; and regression analyses demonstrated comparative validity with existing standard PI scales. Study 3 used clinician ratings of depression and anxiety as criteria for external validity.     

Use of three depression scales for evaluation of pretreatment severity and of improvement after treatment

We investigated the Castilian Spanish versions of three scales (the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the Carroll Rating Scale for Depression, and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale) as to their suitability for classifying major depression patients in four levels of severity prior to treatment with tricyclic antidepressants, and also as to their suitability for classifying these patients in four improvement levels when administered posttreatment. Although the scales behaved quite similarly, each was most efficient at the task for which it had been designed, i.e., severity rating for the Hamilton and Carroll scales, improvement rating for the Montgomery-Asberg scale.     

Psychometric properties of the French and English versions of the Vancouver Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory and the Symmetry Ordering and Arranging Questionnaire

The Vancouver Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory (VOCI) and the Symmetry Ordering and Arranging Questionnaire (SOAQ) are self-report measures that assess a wide variety of symptoms and features of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) including checking, contamination, obsessions, hoarding, "just right", indecisiveness, and symmetry, ordering and arranging obsessions and compulsions. The original English versions of the VOCI and SOAQ have been shown to demonstrate excellent psychometric properties. The present study examined the reliability and validity of French translations of these measures in a non-clinical sample, and also involved the collection of supplementary psychometric information about the English versions of the scales from a new sample. Volunteer undergraduate students completed questionnaire packages including the VOCI and SOAQ, as well as measures of obsessive-compulsive, phobic and depressive symptomatology in their native language of either French or English. Results indicate that the French versions of the VOCI and SOAQ demonstrate similar and excellent psychometric properties to the English versions and that these measures are highly valid and reliable assessment tools for use in clinical and research applications in both languages.     

Coping, mood, and aspects of personality in Spanish translation and evidence of convergence with English versions

Research on stress and its influence on health and well-being has flourished for several decades, examining as predictors such psychosocial variables as personality and coping. This work now often targets multiethnic samples. Because many potential participants lack facility in English, a need exists for translations of measures into other languages. We translated 6 instruments into Spanish and studied their characteristics. Of these, 3 were measures of personality qualities: the Life Orientation Test--Revised (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994), the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation Scales (Carver & White, 1994), and the Measure of Body Apperception (Carver et al., 1998). The others were the Brief COPE (Carver, 1997), the Center for Epidemiological Studies--Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977), and an abbreviated version of the Profile of Mood States (McNair, Lorr, & Droppelman, 1971). Correlations between English and Spanish versions in bilingual samples were all above. 72, except for the COPE's Behavioral Disengagement scale. Alpha reliabilities of the Spanish versions were comparable to those of the English versions. Correlations among measures in a sample of cancer patients were similar across languages.     

A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 among English- and Spanish-speaking Latinas

Depression is a significant problem for ethnic minorities that remains understudied partly due to a lack of strong measures with established psychometric properties. One screening tool, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which was developed for use in primary care has also gained popularity in research settings. The reliability and validity of the PHQ-9 has been well established among predominantly Caucasian samples, in addition to many minority groups. However, there is little evidence regarding its utility among Hispanic Americans, a large and growing cultural group in the United States. In this study, we investigated the reliability and structural validity of the PHQ-9 in Hispanic American women. A community sample of 479 Latina women from southern California completed the PHQ-9 in their preferred language of English or Spanish. Cronbach's alphas suggested that there was good internal consistency for both the English- and Spanish-language versions. Structural validity was investigated using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. Results support a similar one-factor structure with equivalent response patterns and variances among English- and Spanish-speaking Latinas. These results suggest that the PHQ-9 can be used with confidence in both English and Spanish versions to screen Latinas for depression.     

The Body Image Concern Inventory: validation in a multiethnic sample and initial development of a Spanish language version

Dysmorphic appearance concern encompasses preoccupation with a perceived appearance defect, defect checking and camouflaging, and social avoidance. The current study sought to evaluate the internal consistency, factor structure, and convergent validity of a measure of dysmorphic appearance concern, the Body Image Concern Inventory, as well as evaluate the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the instrument. Women recruited as part of a reproductive clinic-based clinical trial completed the BICI and other self-report measures of distress. A total of 1043 women completed the measures in English (M=29 years, range=18-55 years) and 573 women completed the measures in Spanish (M=32 years, range=18-55 years). Both the English and Spanish BICI were internally consistent and correlated moderately with measures of current psychological distress (STAI-S, CES-D). Confirmatory factor analyses replicated the measure's proposed factor structure. Applications of the BICI for future research are discussed.     

Psychometric Properties and Administration Measurement Invariance of Social Phobia Symptom Measures: Paper-Pencil vs. Internet Administrations

The psychometric properties of the online versions of assessment instruments for phobias and related symptoms were compared to those of paper-pencil versions. The examined measures were the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) and Social Phobia Scale (SPS). Students (n = 514) completed the instruments either in a paper-pencil in lab condition or an online at home condition. Means of the measures were largely equivalent between the two groups. Factor structures of the measures support construct validity of the two versions of the questionnaires. The coefficient alphas for the measures were reasonably high, ranging between .91 and .93 for both groups. Correlations between the measures were similar across groups. Overall, adequate psychometric properties of the online versions of the instruments were demonstrated, however, neither of the social phobia measures demonstrated measurement invariance between the two assessment modalities.     

Career adaptability and its relation to self-regulation,career construction,and academic engagement among Spanish university students

This study analyzed the psychometric properties of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS) in a Spanish speaking sample and then its relationships with adaptive readiness (i.e., self-regulation), career construction and adapting responses (i.e., vocational coping behaviors), and adaptation results (academic engagement, burnout, and vocational identity). The measures were completed by 577 Spanish university students. The psychometric properties of the newly translated CAAS Spanish Form included internal consistency values ranging from good to excellent for the total score and for the subscales. The results obtained through the confirmatory factor analysis verified the presence of the four CAAS dimensions: concern, control, curiosity, and confidence, which were the same factors observed in other international studies with other languages. The significant correlations obtained between the CAAS and the adaptive readiness, adapting, and adaptation measures confirmed the validity of the CAAS scores. In addition, this study tested a theoretical model of mediation between variables, adding further support to the distinction between the three dimensions leading to adaptation.     

The development and validation of Spanish versions of the State and Trait Food Cravings Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: We developed and tested the psychometric properties of Spanish versions of the Trait and State Food Cravings Questionnaires (FCQ-T and FCQ-S respectively). METHOD: The instruments were translated and adapted to Spanish and administered to undergraduate students from a Southern university in Spain (N = 271). The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis to compare the factor structure of the English and Spanish versions of both questionnaires. RESULTS: The factors structure of both questionnaires obtained excellent fit indices across their Spanish versions with the one exception that some factors of the FCQ-S were more highly intercorrelated among the Spanish sample than the American. DISCUSSION: This study supports the conceptualization of food cravings as universal multidimensional motivational states that can be reliably measured and supports the use of the Spanish versions of the FCQ.     

The Multidimensional Child and Adolescent Depression Scale: psychometric properties

Based on previous factor analyses of child and adolescent depression inventories, the following eight basic dimensions were identified, i.e., Pessimism, Weak Concentration, Sleep Problems, Anhedonia, Fatigue, Loneliness, Low Self-esteem, and Somatic Complaints. Each dimension was assessed by five items, so the Multidimensional Child and Adolescent Depression Scale has 40 brief statements answered on a 3-point intensity scale, i.e., None, Some, and A lot. The eight dimensions have good factorial validity and acceptable to good alpha and test-retest reliability, and good criterion-related validity using three self-report depression scales. The total scale score has from good to high coefficients of reliability and validity. The highest mean scores were on Fatigue and Anhedonia for Kuwaiti boys and girls, respectively, while the Loneliness subscale has the lowest mean score for both sexes. Girls attained significantly higher mean scores than boys for the total score as well as on all dimensions, with the exception of weak concentration. The scale has two compatible Arabic and English versions. It was designed to be useful in defining the profile of children's and adolescents' depression.     

Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scales (SENAS): further development and psychometric characteristics

The Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scales were devised to be a broad set of psychometrically matched measures with equivalent Spanish and English versions. Study 1 in this report used item response theory methods to refine scales. Results strongly supported psychometric matching across English and Spanish versions and, for most scales, within English and Spanish versions. Study 2 supported in both English and Spanish subsamples the 6-domain model of ability that guided scale construction. Study 3 examined differential item functioning (DIF) of one scale (Object Naming) in relation to education, ethnicity, gender, and age. Effects of DIF on scale-level ability scores were limited. Results demonstrate an empirically guided psychometric approach to test construction for multiethnic and multilingual test applications.     

Low-end specificity of childhood measures of emotional distress: consistent effects for anxiety and depressive symptoms in a nonclinical population

Previous research regarding the low-end specificity of self-report measures of affective distress in children suggests that defensiveness acts differentially to lower scores on self-report measures of depressive symptoms, but not on self-report measures of anxiety. This investigation examined this issue in a nonclinical sample of 442 children, ages 7 to 16. Participants completed measures of depressive symptoms (Children's Depression Inventory), anxiety symptoms (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children) and defensiveness (Children's Social Desirability Scale). In contrast to previous research, the results in this study indicated similar effects of defensiveness on measures of depressive symptoms and anxiety. Low-end depression participants obtained significantly higher defensiveness scores, as did low-end anxious participants. In an attempt to circumvent the effects of defensiveness, we measured anhedonia (Pleasure Scale for Children, or PSC) as a proxy of depressive symptoms. We also found the PSC to be subject to the effects of defensiveness at approximately the same magnitude as the measures of anxiety and depressive symptoms.     

The Overvalued Ideas Scale: development, reliability and validity in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The presence of overvalued ideas in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been theoretically linked to poorer treatment outcome [Kozak, M. J. & Foa, E. B. (1994). Obsessions, overvalued ideas and delusions in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32, 343-353]. To date, no measures have been developed which quantitatively assess levels of overvalued ideas in obsessive-compulsives. The present studies examined the psychometric properties of a scale developed to measure this form of psychopathology, the Overvalued Ideas Scale (OVIS). In study 1, 102 patients diagnosed with OCD were administered a battery of instruments including the OVIS at baseline and two weeks later, prior to initiating treatment. Results indicate that the OVIS has adequate internal consistency reliability (coefficient alpha = 0.88 at baseline), test-retest reliability (r = 0.86) and interrater reliability (r = 0.88). Moderate to high levels of convergent validity was found with measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, a single item assessment of overvalued ideas and psychotic symptoms. Medium levels of discriminant validity with measures of anxiety and depression was obtained in this study. Individuals determined to have high OVI showed greater stability of this pathology than those with lower OVI, suggesting that overvalued ideas are stable for extreme scorers. In study 2 a total of 40 patients participated who were diagnosed with OCD. The same battery of instruments was administered as in study 1, as well as the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventories. Results were similar to that obtained in study 1, including a relative lack of discriminant validity with self-report measures of depression and anxiety. It is suggested that further research with the OVIS may show predictive value in treatment outcome studies of OCD.     

Development and validation of the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS)

The authors describe a new self-report instrument, the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS), which was designed to assess specific symptom dimensions of major depression and related anxiety disorders. They created the IDAS by conducting principal factor analyses in 3 large samples (college students, psychiatric patients, community adults); the authors also examined the robustness of its psychometric properties in 5 additional samples (high school students, college students, young adults, postpartum women, psychiatric patients) who were not involved in the scale development process. The IDAS contains 10 specific symptom scales: Suicidality, Lassitude, Insomnia, Appetite Loss, Appetite Gain, Ill Temper, Well-Being, Panic, Social Anxiety, and Traumatic Intrusions. It also includes 2 broader scales: General Depression (which contains items overlapping with several other IDAS scales) and Dysphoria (which does not). The scales (a) are internally consistent, (b) capture the target dimensions well, and (c) define a single underlying factor. They show strong short-term stability and display excellent convergent validity and good discriminant validity in relation to other self-report and interview-based measures of depression and anxiety.     

The compensation and capitalization models: A test of two approaches to individualizing the treatment of depression

Despite long-standing calls for the individualization of treatments for depression, modest progress has been made in this effort. The primary objective of this study was to test two competing approaches to personalizing cognitive-behavioral treatment of depression (viz., capitalization and compensation). Thirty-four adults meeting criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (59% female, 85% Caucasian) were randomized to 16-weeks of cognitive-behavioral treatment in which strategies used were selected based on either the capitalization approach (treatment matched to relative strengths) or the compensation approach (treatment matched to relative deficits). Outcome was assessed with a composite measure of both self-report (i.e., Beck Depression Inventory) and observer-rated (i.e., Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) depressive symptoms. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed a significant treatment approach by time interaction indicating a faster rate of symptom change for the capitalization approach compared to the compensation approach (d = .69, p = .03). Personalizing treatment to patients' relative strengths led to better outcome than treatment personalized to patients' relative deficits. If replicated, these findings would suggest a significant change in thinking about how therapists might best adapt cognitive-behavioral interventions for depression for particular patients.