Validation of a French version of the thought control questionnaire-insomnia revised (TCQI-R)

Counterproductive strategies of mental control are assumed to contribute to excessive cognitive activity, thereby exacerbating sleep disturbances. The present study examined the psychometric properties of a French version of the thought control questionnaire-insomnia revised (TCQI-R; Ree, M.J., Harvey, A.G., Blake, R., Tang, N.K.Y., Shawe-Taylor, M., 2005. Attempts to control unwanted thoughts in the night: development of the thought control questionnaire-insomnia revised (TCQI-R). Behaviour Research and Therapy 43, 985–998.), a new instrument designed to capture different strategies of thought management that people use when trying to fall asleep. Analysis of the responses of 298 adults replicated the six-factor solution involving aggressive suppression, behavioral distraction, cognitive distraction, reappraisal, social avoidance, and worry. The corresponding subscales showed sound internal consistency. Further, all thought control strategies correlated significantly with some facets of insomnia, with aggressive suppression and worry being most strongly related to sleep disturbances. These findings suggest that the French TCQI-R constitutes a valuable instrument for investigating the implications of mental control in insomnia.