Fast screening of eating disorders among patients with bipolar disorder: Validation of the French version of BEDS questionnaire

IntroductionThe prevalence and morbidity of eating disorders (ED) is high in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Simple tools are necessary to easily and rapidly screen for ED in bipolar patients.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to validate the French version of Bipolar Eating Disorder Scale (BEDS-F).MethodED and BD diagnoses were established with a structured-interview in 80 patients according to the DSM-IV criteria. The BEDS was translated into French using appropriate methods. Patients were administered the following scales: BEDS-F, SCOFF, Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh (BITE) and Eating Disorder Inventory-two (EDI-2).ResultsBEDS-F score were significantly higher in bipolar patients with ED. The BEDS-F showed high feasibility (no omission response), excellent discriminating abilities (ROC AUC = 0.97) with a sensibility of 98% and specificity of 85% for BEDS ≥ 11, high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.86) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.99). No floor/ceiling effect was observed. The BEDS-F sensitivity was equivalent to that of the BITE and EDI-2 subscale B. The BEDS-F specificity was slightly lower than that of the EDI-2 subscale B, but equivalent to that of BITE.ConclusionThe BEDS-F is a valid scale for fast ED screening in patients with bipolar disorder, and easier to administer than other currently used scales.     

A Swedish translation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: cross-validation of the factor structure

The purpose of this study was to develop a new Swedish translation of the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and to examine if the theoretical structure that underlies the factor structure of the English version of the TAS-20 could be recovered in this Swedish translation of the instrument. A sample of 157 undergraduate students of psychology was tested. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the previously established three-factor TAS-20 model was found to be replicable in this sample. In addition, the Swedish translation of the TAS-20 showed adequate internal reliability. The present study also illustrates the importance of using back translation methodology when transposing psychometric instruments from one language to another.     

The structure of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: Theoretical and methodological considerations

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; Zigmond - Snaith, 1983) is widely used; however, its factor structure is unclear, with studies reporting differing unidimensional, two-factor and three-factor models. We aimed to address some key theoretical and methodological issues contributing to inconsistencies in HADS structures across samples. We reviewed existing HADS models and compared their fit using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). We also investigated methodological effects by comparing factor structures derived from Rasch and Principal Components Analysis (PCA) methods, as well as effects of a negative wording factor. An Australian community-dwelling sample consisting of 189 females and 158 males aged 17–86 (M = 35.73, SD = 17.41) completed the 14-item HADS. The Rasch Analysis, PCA and CFA all supported the original two-factor structure. Although some three-factor models had good fit, they had unacceptable reliability. In the CFA, a hierarchical bifactor model with a general distress factor and uncorrelated depression and anxiety subscales produced the best fit, but the general factor was not unidimensional. The addition of a negative wording factor improved model fit. These findings highlight the effects of differing methodologies in producing inconsistent HADS factor structures across studies. Further replication of model fit across samples and refinement of the HADS items is warranted.     

Développement et validation de l’Inventaire francophone de l’Épuisement Professionnel (IFEP)

IntroductionThe prevention of burnout is a major issue for companies. However, they do not always have access to tools adapted to the implementation of prevention policies.ObjectiveThis study is part of a project to create a questionnaire adapted to employees’ needs in the field of burnout measurement.MethodThe survey was distributed online to French-speakers workers (N = 680).ResultsThe results of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated two dimensions (exhaustion and interpersonal stress) with high internal consistency. This factorial structure was confirmed for men and women as well as for French and Belgian workers by means of measurement invariance analyses. Criterion validity was verified regarding the relationships between the scores on the IFEP dimensions and those obtained with the MBI-GS, the measure of the intent to quit, the subjective health scale and the number of days of sick.ConclusionThe overall results of the analyses performed in this study show satisfactory psychometric qualities of the French Burnout Inventory (IFEP), a new measure of burnout that can be used in many French-speakers work contexts.     

Barry Guitar: Reflections on a career

This is the third in a series of papers that provides an historical record in this journal of contributions made by the most influential figures in the field of fluency disorders. The paper reflects on the long and productive career of Barry Guitar, documenting his outstanding achievements. The paper is based on interviews with him during 2022. Like no one else in our field, Barry Guitar has an understanding of the experience of stuttering and how to cope with it, and, throughout his career, he has used that understanding to inspire others to cope with it.     

A British university case study of the transitional experiences of student-athletes

ObjectivesWithin Great Britain, increasing numbers of elite sport performers are attending higher education institutions. The current study presents an exploration of the transitional experiences of these individuals at a specific British university. Wylleman and Lavallee's (2004) developmental model on transitions faced by athletes and Stambulova's (1997, 2003) athletic career transition model were used to provide the theoretical foundation of inquiry.Design and methodAn instrumental case study design was adopted to provide an in-depth analysis of student-athletes’ experiences at a university. The case university was selected based on its provision of elite sport support services. To acquire a holistic understanding, interviews were conducted with current and recently graduated student-athletes from the university, and focus groups were run with university staff (viz. administrators, coaches, and support staff). Qualitative data were analyzed using a thematic framework approach.ResultsElite student-athletes at the British university were found to experience simultaneous athletic, academic, psychological, and psychosocial transitions. To overcome the transitional demands, student-athletes were found to draw on a variety of internal (e.g., self-awareness) and external (e.g., academic flexibility) resources and to implement coping strategies (e.g., seeking social support). Potential barriers to successful transitions were also identified (e.g., parental overprotection).ConclusionsThese findings advance the limited existing literature on British university student-athletes’ transitional experiences and suggestions are provided for how other universities can enhance provision for their elite student-athletes.     

Career identity and the complex mediating relationships between career preparatory actions and career progress markers

We tested a cross-sectional, moderated-mediation model of career identity in young adults (N = 667, 72.9% female, mean age = 20 years). In this model, career preparatory activities (career exploration and planning) were associated with perceptions of future employability and career distress. These relationships were mediated by career identity, and career identity was conditional upon level of career calling. We found that career exploration was associated with more career distress, while career planning was associated with less, and both career exploration and planning were associated with higher perceived employability. Career identity mediated between career exploration and planning and both outcomes, and these mediated relationships were stronger when career calling was higher. We interpreted the results from career construction, identity, and exploration perspectives; highlighted the applicability of these perspectives in the development of agency, career calling, and career identity; and made recommendations for testing other theory-based moderators.     

Developmental trajectories and reciprocal associations between career adaptability and vocational identity: A three-wave longitudinal study with adolescents

The purpose of this longitudinal study was two-fold. First, we investigated patterns of stability and change in career adaptability and vocational identity in adolescents. Second, we examined reciprocal associations between career adaptability and vocational identity. In addressing both research aims we tested the moderating effects of gender, school-type, and age. Participants were 1151 (58.7% female) adolescents. They filled in measures that appraised career adapt-abilities and vocational identity processes three times during a school year. Latent growth curve analyses highlighted slight longitudinal decreases in career concern, control, and confidence especially in boys, vocational school students, and middle-to-late adolescents. Also, over time boys and students attending vocational schools reported less in-depth occupational exploration, less identification with present vocational commitments, and more flexibility and self-doubt about their careers. Findings of cross-lagged path analyses highlighted reciprocal associations between career adaptability and vocational identity. Career adaptability positively predicted adolescents' ways of dealing with vocational exploration and commitment. Vocational commitment and reconsideration of commitment predicted career adapt-abilities in time. These results indicate that career adaptability and vocational identity are dynamic and interrelated dimensions of adolescent career development. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

The influence of social comparison on career decision-making: Vocational identity as a moderator and regret as a mediator

This study investigated the influence of social comparison on career choice certainty and its potential mechanisms: regret as a mediator and vocational identity as a moderator. Before the formal experiment, 30 pairs of vocational values representing typical conflicts in career decision-making for Chinese university students were obtained. The formal experiment adopted a single-factor (social comparison VS no comparison) between-subject design with vocational identity as an independent covariate. Ninety-eight junior and senior undergraduate students and graduate students in a university in China were invited to participate in the computer-controlled experiment, which involved vocational identity assessment, social comparison manipulation, and analogue career-choice scenario tests. Path analysis showed that: (a) Social comparison significantly and negatively predicted career choice certainty; (b) Regret partially mediated the effect of social comparison on career choice certainty; and (c) Vocational identity did not moderate the path between social comparison and regret, but significantly moderated the negative effect of regret on career choice certainty. These results indicated that in the collectivistic Chinese culture, individuals' career development trajectories may not be totally independent and are subject to influences by other people's choices, while emotion of regret and vocational identity development all play significant roles in this intricate process.