Psychometric properties of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale in a clinical sample

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) in a clinical sample of 513 youth referred for mental health assessment at a university clinic. Internal consistency and factor analysis provided support for the factorial validity of the RCADS. Convergent and discriminant validity tests against both clinical interview and self-report criteria also suggested favorable properties of the RCADS. In comparative tests with traditional measures of anxiety and depression, the RCADS generally showed greater correspondence to specific diagnostic syndromes. Clinical cutoffs are reported for the purposes of future clinical and research applications.     

Psychometric properties of the Children's Depression Inventory in community and clinical sample

The psychometric characteristics of the Children's Depression Inventory, CDI (Kovacs, 1992) in a sample of 1705 participants (792 boys and 913 girls) and a clinical sample of 102 participants (42 boys and 60 girls) between 10 and 18 years old are presented. Reliability coefficients range, for both samples, from .82 (test) to .84 (retest) in the community sample, and .85 (test, clinical sample); test-retest reliability is .81 in the community sample. The mean scores are similar to other Spanish and English ones. Girls score higher than boys. The cut-off point that best differentiates between depressive and community participants is 19, with a sensitivity of 94.7%, a specificity of 95.6%, a positive predictive value of .90, and a negative predictive value of .98.     

Psychometric evaluation of the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale using an elderly community sample

In this study the psychometric properties of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were evaluated and compared, using a relatively large elderly community sample. The GDS generally performed well, replicating earlier findings from a different population. Also, as hypothesized, the SDS, which has a multiple-choice format, had a higher non-completion rate than the GDS, which has a true-false format. Finally, no significant differences between the responses of young-old and old-old subjects were observed.     

Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale: a Psychometric Examination in Chinese Youth

There remains a need for a disorder-specific inventory of children’s depression and anxiety that can reliably screen anxious and depressive disorder symptomatology in Chinese children. The Revised Child and Anxiety Depression Scale (RCADS) is a self-report questionnaire assessing anxiety and depression in children (Chorpita et al., 2000; Piqueras et al., 2017). This study sought to evaluate its psychometric properties in a Mainland Chinese sample. Students from the 4th to 11th grades (N?=?1001) participated in this study. Each of the RCADS subscales, by age and sex, possessed reliability coefficients ranging between .63 and .81. Means and standard deviations for RCADS subscales calculated for the age and sex sub-samples were reported. Participants reported slightly lower levels on five subscales than for Chorpita et al. (2000) normative sample. The scales were significantly and strongly correlated with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) subscales (somatic, withdrawal, anxiety) as well as CBCL internalizing scores. Fit statistics suggested marginal to adequate fit for the six-factor model for the Chinese youth. The present study provides foundational support for the psychometric properties of the RCADS in a large sample of Chinese youth yet indicates that factor structure might be improved through enhanced sampling of culturally relevant symptom expressions.

     

Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale 25-Item Version in El Salvador

Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment - The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, 25-Item Version (RCADS-25) is a well-known, brief self-report measure of anxiety and...     

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.     

Psychometric properties of the Observer Alexithymia Scale in a clinical sample

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Observer Alexithymia Scale (OAS; Haviland, Warren, & Riggs, 2000) in a clinical setting. Clinical and counseling psychologists used the OAS to rate outpatients (n = 192) with various Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) diagnoses. Reliability and validity data are similar to the initial nonclinical data (n = 819): OAS scores are reliable (coefficient alpha = .90), and the five-factor structure--Distant, Uninsightful, Somatizing, Humorless, and Rigid--was confirmed. Moreover, the OAS does a relatively good job of differentiating clinical from nonclinical cases. The OAS is psychometrically sound, and it appears to be a useful tool for collecting and evaluating observer data on the clinically relevant, everyday expressions of alexithymia.     

Correlations of Beck Depression Inventory and Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale.

The scores of 15 adolescents who had a primary diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, 21 of Conduct Disorder, and 23 control subjects on the Beck and Reynolds depression scales were correlated .58 over-all, .73 for the Posttraumatic group, .48 for the Conduct Disordered group, but .37 for controls. The Reynolds scale did not identify depression in these adolescents as effectively as did the Beck scale.     

Psychometric properties of the Insomnia Catastrophizing Scale (ICS) in a large community sample

ABSTRACT

The purpose was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Insomnia Catastrophizing Scale (ICS) including factorial validity and internal consistency as well as discriminative and convergent validity. Associations with sleep parameters and daytime impairment are also examined. Drawn from a randomly selected sample of the general population, 1615 participants completed a survey on insomnia-related nighttime and daytime symptoms, health outcomes and psychological processes, including the ICS. A one-factor solution was supported for both the nighttime catastrophizing (11 items) and daytime catastrophizing (6 items) subscales. Both subscales displayed high internal consistencies (α > 0.90) and accounted for 59.1–70.1% of the variance. The insomnia disorder group had significantly higher scores than participants without insomnia on the two subscales and on the individual items. Cutoffs were established for both subscales with acceptable sensitivity and specificity. Both subscales displayed adequate convergent validity with measures indexing worry, cognitive pre-sleep arousal and anxiety. The two subscales were also significantly associated with nighttime and daytime insomnia symptoms. The ICS is a reliable and valid scale for the assessment of insomnia-related catastrophizing. Future research is needed to examine the test-retest reliability and treatment sensitivity of the ICS.     

Psychometric properties of the Padua Inventory in Chinese college samples

The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Padua Inventory in Chinese college samples. Three different samples (N1 = 1,939, N2 = 1,341, and N3 = 298) of Chinese college students were recruited. Exploratory factor analyses yielded a four-factor structure which was similar to that found in previous studies. Further, present results showed good internal consistency as well as convergent and divergent validity with the subscales of the Symptom Checklist-90 and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Although no sex difference was found on total score, women had significantly higher scores on Factor 2 (Urges and worries of losing control over motor behaviors) and Factor 4 (Checking), while men had significantly higher scores on Factor 3 (Contamination). Implications of ter the results and directions for research are discussed.     

Psychometric properties of the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale

Although the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale (RCBS; Cheek, 1983) is widely used, its psychometric properties largely are unknown. In this investigation, we examined the normative data, factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent/discriminant validity of the RCBS using a sample of 261 university students. Results provided strong support for the stability of normative data over time, reliability of the measure, and its predicted associations with contemporary measures of shyness, social anxiety, and related constructs. Although support was obtained for a unifactorial conceptualization of shyness, an exploratory factor analysis revealed an alternative 3-factor solution that was supportive of a previously proposed meta-analytic model of shyness (Jones, Briggs, & Smith, 1986) and was consistent with other prominent shyness theories (Buss, 1980; Pilkonis, 1977a, 1977b; Zimbardo, 1977). This factor model was replicable on a holdout sample, and there were some data to support the discriminant validity of factors.     

Psychometric properties of a Danish translation of the Rutter Scale B in a community sample of seven-year-old children

The psychometric properties of a Danish translation of the Rutter Scale B for completion by teachers were examined in a nonreferred sample of 686 7-year-old children. The Danish translation of the Rutter scale had a similar factor structure to the original, producing a three-factor structure corresponding to the subscales. The agreement between the questionnaire and direct observations of the children ten months earlier was fair ( K =0.42). The findings suggest that the translated scale could serve as a rapid and useful screening instrument in clinical and in research settings.     

Psychometric properties of the Learning-Orientation Grade-Orientation II Scale.

The Learning-Orientation Grade-Orientation Scale of Eison, Pollio, and Milton was administered to 85 college students and analyzed to study the psychometric properties of the instrument. Scale means were consistent with those usually reported. Cronbach coefficients alpha for 5 of the 6 scales ranged from .58 to .70; however, the coefficient alpha for learning-orientation attitude scale was questionably low (.29). Item analyses and factor analyses support the continued use of at least 5 of the 6 scales measured by the inventory.     

Psychometric properties and clinical cut-off scores of the Spanish version of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents

This study examined the reliability and validity evidence drawn from the scores of the Spanish version of the Slovenian-developed Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SASA; Puklek, 1997; Puklek & Vidmar, 2000) using a community sample (Study 1) and a clinical sample (Study 2). Confirmatory factor analysis in Study 1 replicated the 2-factor structure found by the original authors in a sample of Slovenian adolescents. Test-retest reliability was adequate. Furthermore, the SASA correlated significantly with other social anxiety scales, supporting concurrent validity evidence in Spanish adolescents. The results of Study 2 confirmed the correlations between the SASA and other social anxiety measures in a clinical sample. In addition, findings revealed that the SASA can effectively discriminate between adolescents with a clinical diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and those without this disorder. Finally, cut-off scores for the SASA are provided for Spanish adolescents.     

Psychometric properties of the Illness Attitudes Scale in psychiatric patients.

This study assessed the factorial structure of the 29-item Illness Attitudes Scale in a population of 82 psychiatric patients hospitalized for gastrointestinal complaints. Factor analysis yielded three factors of the Illness Attitudes Scale in these patients, which have been interpreted Health Anxiety, Illness Behavior, and Health Habits. The internal consistency of these factors, estimated by Cronbach alpha, were .86, .80, and .58, respectively. The Health Anxiety and Illness Behavior scores were significantly intercorrelated .43, but scores on Health Habits were not significantly correlated with either Health Anxiety (r = .19) or Illness Behavior (r = .14). These findings are consistent with previous reports that two factors of the Illness Attitudes Scale possess reliable psychometric properties. Cross-validation with other patient populations is required to confirm the validity of the Illness Attitudes Scale factor structure testing at least 5 participants per item of the scale.     

Psychometric properties of the Thought-Action Fusion Scale in a Turkish sample

The aim of the present study was to reveal the cross-cultural utility of the Thought-Action Fusion Scale (TAFS; J. Anxiety Disord. 10 (1996) 379). Thought-action fusion (TAF) refers to the tendency to overvalue the significance and the consequences of thoughts. Two hundred and fifty one undergraduate Turkish students participated in the current study. The reliability and validity analyses of the Turkish version of the scale indicated that the TAFS had adequate psychometric properties in a Turkish sample. Consistent with the original TAF, the Turkish version of TAFS revealed two subscales as TAF-Likelihood and TAF-Morality. Reliability analysis showed that TAF Scale and its factors had adequate internal consistencies and split-half reliability coefficients. Confirming the expectations, TAFS scores were found to be significantly and positively correlated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, responsibility, and guilt measures. Moreover, it was found that people with high obsessive-compulsive symptoms had higher TAFS scores than those with low symptoms.     

Psychometric properties of the Impact of Event Scale - Revised

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Impact of Event Scale—Revised (IES-R) in two samples of male Vietnam veterans: a treatment-seeking sample with a confirmed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis (N=120) and a community sample with varying levels of traumatic stress symptomatology (N=154). The scale showed high internal consistency (alpha=0.96). Confirmatory factor analysis did not provide support for a three-factor solution corresponding to the three subscales of intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Exploratory factor analysis suggested that either a single, or a two-factor solution (intrusion/hyperarousal and avoidance), provided the best account of the data. However, correlations among the subscales were higher in the community sample than in the treatment sample, suggesting that the IES-R may be sensitive to a more general construct of traumatic stress in those with lower symptom levels. The correlation between the IES-R and the PTSD Checklist was high (0.84) and a cutoff of 1.5 (equivalent to a total score of 33) was found to provide the best diagnostic accuracy.     

Psychometric properties of the Psychological Flourishing Scale in an Egyptian setting

The specific goals of the present research were twofold: i) to test the structure validity, and internal reliability of scores from the Psychological Flourishing Scale (PFS) with Egyptian college students; and ii) to test the PFS’s temporal stability and convergent validity properties. Two samples of Egyptian college students completed the PFS (n = 374; n = 173) to address the two research aims in two studies. The students also completed the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) for determining the concurrent validity of scores. In the first study, the internal consistency was evaluated. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were performed. In the second, the temporal stability and convergent validity were tested. The Arabic version of PFS showed a high internal reliability, structure, and convergent validity, and moderate temporal stability.     

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Family Awareness Scale

The author examined the reliability and validity of the Chinese Family Awareness Scale (C-FAS) in 2 studies. In Study 1, data from 361 adolescents (a) showed that the C-FAS was temporally stable and internally consistent and (b) supported the concurrent and construct validities of the scale. In Study 2, data from clinical (N = 281) and nonclinical (N = 451) groups of adolescents showed that the C-FAS scores discriminated between the 2 groups. C-FAS scores were also correlated significantly with other measures of family functioning and psychological well-being. Results of the 2 studies suggest that the C-FAS displayed generally good psychometric properties in different samples of Chinese adolescents.