Research on psychosomatic complaints by senior high school students in Tokyo and their related factors

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationships between psychosomatic complaints of senior high school students in Tokyo and the cognition they receive from their fathers, mothers, friends, teachers, and schoolwork and between their complaints and lifestyle habits. The subjects were 168 first-grade students (58 males and 110 females) at a Tokyo Metropolitan senior high school. In June 1996, a collective survey was carried out, using questionnaires. Moreover, I conducted a longitudinal study to investigate the variation of their complaints over the 3 years at the school. The females had more psychosomatic complaints than the males. There was the relationship between their psychosomatic complaints and the cognition they receive from their fathers, mothers and teachers, the relationship between their psychosomatic complaints and their schoolwork, the relationship between their psychosomatic complaints and their ingestion conditions at meals, or sleeping hours. As for the their complaints, they had more complaints at admission than at the completion of their first grade and at graduation.     

Brief report: Development of a brief scale to assess family support function among Chinese high school students

PURPOSE: To develop a brief family support function scale for Chinese high school students (FSFS-CHSS). METHODS: Standard procedures for scale development (identification of conceptual model, literature review, item selection and modification using consumer and expert panels and item reduction techniques) were used to develop a 17-item scale. Families of students in 96 high school classes in Hunan were used for item selection and validation. A subset of 4 out of 96 classes was selected as a test-retest sample. RESULTS: A brief CHSS-FSFS with 17 items was found to have good test-retest and internal consistency reliability (Pearson correlation coefficient: 0.89, P<0.05; Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.87). Three factors were extracted using factor analysis, accounting for 48% of total variation. Comparison of CHSS-FSFS score between healthy and unhealthy families was statistically significant, t=7.58, P<0.01. CONCLUSIONS: CHSS-FSFS is a reliable and valid tool for family support function assessment.     

Reliability and validity of a rating scale for post-stroke psychiatric symptoms. SKETCH Study Group

Reliability and validity of a rating scale for post-stroke psychiatric symptoms were examined by the videotape method. The scale comprised 10 items categorized into two symptom domains of decreased spontaneity and impaired emotion. Also, two items for global assessment of the two symptom domains were added. Each item had seven anchor points from 0, representing no impairment, to 6, corresponding to complete impairment. Face validity of the scale was confirmed through the questionnaire survey. Nine neurologists independently assessed psychiatric symptoms in 30 videotaped post-stroke patients. Weighted kappa coefficients of more than 0.5 were noted for all the items except for one item. Data from three cerebral metabolism enhancers trials were used to examine the validity. Changes in severity in the Global Change Scale (GCS) from the baseline to the final assessment was assessed by raters' impression in these trials. Factorial validity of the scale was confirmed by the factor analysis. GCS in the three trials were considerably related to the summed scores of the items in the two categories. Namely, in the box plot figures, boxes of the middle 50% of data well differentiated the adjacent categories of GCS. However, overlap from vertical bars was observed. These results suggest reliability and validity of the scale.     

智力成就责任问卷的信度和效度研究

目的检测智力成就责任问卷(IAR)的信度和效度.方法对294名中学生进行了智力成就责任问卷的测试.结果重测信度系数为0.660;I+与I-的相关系数为0.166(P＜0.01);总分与I+的相关系数为0.730;与I-的相关系数为0.749.与期中考试成绩的相关系数仅高中二年级较高(0.729),其它年级不具相关性.结论测查结果与文献中介绍的结果相似,提示IAR量表具有较好的信度和效度,可在我国使用.     

Improving fatigue assessment in immune‐mediated neuropathies: the modified Rasch‐built fatigue severity scale

Abstract Fatigue is a major disabling complaint in patients with immune‐mediated neuropathies (IN). The 9‐item fatigue severity scale (FSS) has been used to assess fatigue in these conditions, despite having limitations due to its classic ordinal construct. The aim was to improve fatigue assessment in IN through evaluation of the FSS using a modern clinimetric approach [Rasch unidimensional measurement model (RUMM2020)]. Included were 192 stable patients with Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) or polyneuropathy associated with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUSP). The obtained FSS data were exposed to RUMM2020 model to investigate whether this scale would meet its expectations. Also, reliability and validity studies were performed. The original FSS did not meet the Rasch model expectations, primarily based on two misfitting items, one of these also showing bias towards the factor ‘walking independent.’ After removing these two items and collapsing the original 7‐point Likert options to 4‐point response categories for the remaining items, we succeeded in constructing a 7‐item Rasch‐built scale that fulfilled all requirements of unidimensionality, linearity, and rating scale model. Good reliability and validity were also obtained for the modified FSS scale. In conclusion, a 7‐item linearly weighted Rasch‐built modified FSS is presented for more proper assessment of fatigue in future studies in patients with immune‐mediated neuropathies.     

自我护理能力实施量表中文版在精神分裂症患者中的信效度

目的:评价自我护理能力实施量表(ESCA)中文版在精神分裂症患者中的信度和效度。方法:抽取150例精神分裂症患者进行ESCA初测,进行初步的项目分析;正式施测阶段抽取300例精神分裂症患者,7 d后对其中30例进行重测,计算克朗巴赫α系数、重测信度评价量表内部一致性;采用探索性因子分析方法考评量表结构效度;相关分析来评价量表的效标效度。结果:条目一总分相关法及决断值法对条目的区分度进行分析后,组成35个条目的新量表,经最大方差旋转法旋转后提取4个因子,4个因子累计解释的方差为42.38%;ESCA与日常生活能力评定量表、护士用住院病人观察量表相关系数分别为0.59,0.63;Cranach'sα系数为0.88,重测信度为0.65。结论:ESCA中文版具有较好的信度和效度,用于精神分裂症患者自我护理能力的研究需要反复修订。     

认知情绪调节问卷中文版在中学生中的应用

目的 检验认知情绪调节问卷中文版在我国中学生中的适用性.方法 从全国8个城市选取6975例中学生完成认知情绪调节问卷(CERQ),同时采用流调中心用抑郁量表(CESD)和儿童青少年多维度焦虑量表(MASC)作为校标测量工具.结果 CERQ全量表的Cronbach's α系数为0.95,各分量表的α系数均在0.75以上;全量表条目间的平均相关系数为0.343;验证性因素分析结果(CFI=0.904,IFI=0.904,TLI=0.892,NFI=0.901,PNFI=0.798,RMSEA=0.065.)支持九因子结构;与抑郁和焦虑水平的相关分析也发现CERQ具有良好的校标关联效度.结论 CERQ中文版具有良好的信度和效度,能有效地评估我国中学生的认知情绪调节策略.     

The Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale in New Zealand adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To examine aspects of the reliability and validity of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS) in measuring depression in New Zealand adolescents of all major ethnic groups. METHOD: A sample of 9699 randomly selected New Zealand secondary school students participated in the Youth2000 Health and Wellbeing Survey which included the RADS. Data from this survey have been used to assess some aspects of the reliability and validity of the RADS in the New Zealand context across different ethnic groups. Cronbach's alpha, item-total score correlations, correlation to other questions and a factor analysis were done in order to examine the internal reliability, content validity, convergent validity and construct validity of the data and compare to the original Reynolds validation study. RESULTS: Tests of the scale resulted in scores over 0.90 on Cronbach's alpha and high item-total score correlations, with a median correlation of 0.62 and 25 of the 30 correlations measuring more than 0.5. The scores were found to have similar factor structure to the original scale and the correlations to other depression related questions indicate acceptable concurrent validity. CONCLUSIONS: On all of the tests conducted, the RADS was found to have acceptable reliability and validity for New Zealand adolescents across the major different ethnic groups, indicating that it is a valid and appropriate instrument to use with New Zealand adolescents.     

Reliability and validity of a Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire for community-living elderly with healthcare needs

Background: Although environmental factors play an important role in the quality of life of the elderly, no currently available scale is adequate for the comprehensive assessment of the environments of community‐living elderly in Japan. The present study developed a Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire to assess factors affecting quality of life and examined its reliability, criterion‐related validity, and construct validity among community‐living elderly with healthcare needs. Methods: Participants were 178 elderly adults without dementing disorders, aged 60 years and older, who were currently using day care services or home‐visit rehabilitative services. Participants were selected from five regions of Japan. We asked participants to complete the Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire—provisional version twice (with a 1 month interval in between) and World Health Organization Quality of Life—brief form at baseline. Results: Based on exploratory factor analysis, we restructured the Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire—provisional version to the final version, with 14 items and a three‐factor structure. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency for all items was 0.82. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients for test–retest reliability were 0.4 or greater for 10 items, and were statistically significant (P < 0.001) for all items. The correlation coefficient of the total score of the Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire and the environment domain score of the World Health Organization Quality of Life—brief form was 0.63 (P < 0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire as a second‐order factor model was an adequate fit to the data. All standardized path coefficients in the model were statistically significant (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The present study established high levels of reliability, criterion‐related validity, and construct validity for the Comprehensive Environmental Questionnaire, with the exception of test–retest reliability for four items among community‐living elderly with healthcare needs.     

脑卒中患者临床神经功能缺损程度评分的信度与效度

目的 评价脑卒中患者临床神经功能缺损程度评分的信度和效度.方法 222例急性脑卒中患者,分别由不同评定者于入院当天、入院第14天、发病后第90天对同一例脑卒中患者进行临床神经功能缺损程度评分.重测信度与评定者间信度用Kappa值表示,分半信度、内部一致性信度用Croubach α值表示.同时效度、预测效度采用Spearman相关分析.结构效度采用因子分析的方法,其中脑梗死患者根据英国牛津郡社区脑卒中项目(OCSP)分型评定3种不同梗死类型的临床神经功能缺损程度评分的结构效度.结果 所有条目重测信度均>0.6,评定者间信度中条目"步行能力"为0.542,分半信度0.911,Cronbach α值为0.886,不同评定方式间信度显示"上肢肌力"、"手肌力"的信度分别为0.393、0.386.其与NIHSS评定结果呈正相关(均P=0.000),不同OCSP分型患者神经功能缺损程度评分与NIHSS评分结果均相关,且与发病后90 d的Barthel指数和改良Rankin评分均相关.结论 临床神经功能缺损程度评分内部一致性信度较高,其与NIHSS有同时效度,对脑卒中预后有预测效度;对部分前循环梗死患者的结构效度最好,可以用来评定椎-基底动脉系统的脑卒中,但并不敏感.     

Subjective health complaints in adolescence--reliability and validity of survey methods.

This paper studies test-retest reliability and validity of one measure of adolescent health complaints. The test-retest included an eight-item symptom checklist developed for the survey of Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (n=344). Qualitative analysis showed adequate validity for most items. For the total sample, all items were found to have adequate intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) in the range 0.61-0.75. There were inter-item differences and girls generally received the higher values. Most changes were within one category. Adolescents' understanding of 16 complaints was studied by interviews with 38 adolescents. A few items showed ambiguity in interviews despite adequate test-retest stability.     

居民心理健康状况筛查记录表的编制及信效度检验

目的 为建立社区心理健康档案、筛查社区里有心理疾病的居民而编制居民心理健康状况筛查记录表并进行信效度检验.方法 通过文献阅读并结合社区和临床实践经验,参考中文版复合性国际诊断交谈表3.0(CIDI-3.0),提出项目,以37名某课程培训班学员、32例精神科住院病人及5.12地震灾区1800名灾民进行信度、效度评定.结果 Cuttman系数(Cronbach's α)为0.682,分半信度系数为0.624,重测信度为0.880,ICC值为0.909.各因子与总分之间的相关为0.302～0.839,各条目与总分之间的相关为0.126～0.547.总分得分≥4时,筛选灵敏度为0.605,特异性为0.395.结论 居民心理健康状况筛查记录表适合做为社区居民的心理疾病的筛查量表.     

SCL-90信度效度检验和常模的再比较

目的　重新检验SCL 90的信度、效度和常模资料。方法　对杭州市 4 5 2 6名中学生、社区成年人及 6 0岁以上老年人进行SCL 90的心理测量。结果　①SCL 90总量表的同质性信度为 0 97,各分量表的同质性信度在0 6 9以上 ,重测信度大于 0 7,内容效应和结构效应也较好 ;②SCL 90各因子分与 1986年全国常模相比有变化 ,中学生、老年人的因子分明显高于 1986年全国常模。结论　SCL 90在正常人群中有较好的信度和效度 ,但要重新制订不同职业和不同年龄人群的常模 ,并在使用过程中参考有针对性的常模。     

自杀意向量表在中国高中学生中的评估——信度和效度研究

目的:尝试修订西方国家流行的自杀意向量表,并验证其在中国文化背景下高中学生群体里的信度和效度。方法:选取292名农村高中学生参加了研究。结果:自杀意向量表修订后具有较好的内部一致性信度。自杀意向量表得分与特质焦虑、绝望高度相关。结论:修订后的自杀意向量表能够适用于中国高中生人群。     

Clinical gait and balance scale (GABS): validation and utilization

Gait and Balance Scale (GABS) consists of historical information and examination of 14 different gait and balance parameters designed to assess the severity of these functional domains. Thirty-five patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), Hoehn and Yahr stages 1-3, were tested during their "off" period. GABS items were compared to quantitative data from two computerized gait analysis instruments, GAITRite and Pro Balance Master. Intra-class correlation coefficients were calculated to establish reliability. Intra-rater test-retest reliability was determined using Cohen's Kappa statistic. Concurrent validity was derived using the Spearman's rho test with the items from GABS, GAITRite and Balance Master. Intra-rater reliability was high with k>0.41 (k=kappa statistic) for 17 items, 6 had k>0.61. When performing validity measurements, a number of items on the GABS had a correlation coefficient significant at p<0.01 (2-tailed). Posture, pull test, balance during stance, single limb stance, tandem stance, turning, toe walking and functional reach had significant correlation with Balance Master data (R=0.46-1). Gait, arm swing, gait speed, steps/5 m, 'up-and-go test', modified performance oriented assessment of gait scale and provocative testing had significant correlation with the GAITRite items (R=0.51-0.83). GABS is an easy-to-use comprehensive clinical scale with high intra-rater and internal item reliability. We have shown concurrent validity with two computerized gait analysis instruments. We expect GABS to have a particular utility in clinical trials designed to modify functional impairment associated with abnormalities in gait and balance.     

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Narcolepsy Severity Scale in adult patients with narcolepsy type 1

ObjectiveTo evaluate reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Narcolepsy Severity Scale (NSS) in adult patients with narcolepsy type 1 (NT1).MethodsOne hundred and fifty-one adult patients (≥18 years) with NT1 were recruited. All filled out the 15-item Chinese version of NSS. Item analysis included critical ratio and correlation analysis. The validity of NSS was assessed by exploratory factor analysis, discriminant validity and convergent validity. Reliability of NSS was assessed by Cronbach's α coefficient, spilt-half reliability and test-retest reliability.ResultsCritical value of all 15 items ranged from 3.01 to 13.36. Each item was significantly correlated with the total score by a correlation coefficient (r) ranging from 0.219 to 0.700. Three common domains were extracted and 15 items explained 54.86% of the total variance. There was a shift in domains compared to the English version likely due to cultural differences. Cronbach's α coefficient for the total scale of 15 items was 0.821 and for three factors was 0.726, 0.748 and 0.760 respectively. The NSS had good correlation with Epworth sleepiness scale scores, Insomnia severity index scores and moderate correlation with mean the sleep latency of polysomnographic recording, and European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions Questionnaire. The Chinese version of NSS showed good spilt-half reliability and test-retest reliability.ConclusionThe Chinese version of NSS shows satisfactory psychometric properties with good validity and reliability. It is applicable to evaluate the severity and consequences of symptoms in Chinese adult patients with NT1.     

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the empathy quotient among Chinese minority college students

Background

When the minority college students from the ethnic minority communities come to study in Chinese Han region, they encounter adapting difficulties of culture and socio-psychology, in which empathy plays a crucial role. Current instruments used to measure empathy have many limited effectiveness. The empathy quotient (EQ) scale which has been validated in many countries was explicitly designed for clinical applications and was intended to be sensitive to a lack of empathy. This study is to develop a complete Chinese version of the EQ scale and to assess its reliability and validity among Chinese minority college students in the Han Chinese region.

Methods

A total of 1638 Chinese minority college students in the Han region were selected and were randomly divided into two groups. One group of 818 students took part in the implementation of the exploratory factor analysis while the other group of 820 students participated in the confirmatory factor analysis.

Results

Twenty-nine items of the EQ were retained based on the factor analysis and four factors were extracted: self-awareness, cognitive empathy, social skills, and emotional reactivity, which can explain 51.793% of the total variance. The factors of the EQ scale were significantly correlated with each other, with the correlation coefficient ranging from 0.316 to 0.563. The coefficient of internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) was 0.824 for the total scale and ranged from 0.640 to 0.818 for the subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis proved that the measured data fitted well with the hypothesized four-factor model. All of the items in the scale fitted the model well, and the point-measure correlation coefficient had acceptable consistency.

Conclusions

The refined 29-item Chinese version of the EQ possesses good reliability and validity, and can be applied in assessing empathy among Chinese minority college students.

     

A brief assessment of psychosocial functioning of subjects with bipolar I disorder: the LIFE-RIFT. Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation-Range Impaired Functioning Tool

Those afflicted with bipolar disorder often suffer from substantial functional impairment both when in episode and when in remission. This study examined the psychometric properties of a brief assessment of psychosocial functioning, the Range of Impaired Functioning Tool (LIFE-RIFT), among subjects with bipolar I disorder. The study sample consisted of 163 subjects who presented with bipolar I disorder at intake into the NIMH Collaborative Depression Study (CDS). All LIFE-RIFT items come from the Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation (LIFE). Follow-up data that were used to examine the reliability and validity of the scale come from assessments of psychosocial functioning that were conducted 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after intake into the CDS. The results of factor analyses indicate that the scale items are measures of one construct, psychosocial functioning. The interrater agreement on the scale score was very good with an intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.94. The internal consistency reliability among the scale items was uniformly satisfactory over the four assessment periods, with coefficient alpha ranging from 0.78 to 0.84. Mixed-effect regression analyses showed that during mood episodes subjects were significantly more impaired than those in recovery. In conclusion, the psychometric properties of the LIFE-RIFT were examined in subjects with bipolar I disorder. The analyses from this longitudinal, observational study provide empirical support for the reliability and validity of the scale. The LIFE-RIFT provides a brief, inexpensive alternative to scales currently used to assess psychosocial functioning and can be easily added to semistructured assessments that are used in clinical and treatment outcome studies.     

Assessing quality of life for adolescents in Taiwan

This study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Taiwanese quality of life questionnaire for adolescents and the factors affecting the quality of life of Taiwanese adolescents. The survey involved 5538 junior high school students, aged 13-15 years. An initial 90-item questionnaire was shortened to 38 items by means of principal component analyses. Quality of life assessment involved seven factors: family, residential environment, personal competence, social relationships, physical appearance, psychological well-being, and pain. The rate of missing data was low. The Cronbach alpha coefficient remained above the 0.75 threshold criterion for the global scale and seven subdomain scales. A lower quality of life score was evident for female adolescents in higher grades in school, those living with a single parent or other relatives, and those living in rural areas. This 38-item questionnaire should serve as a reliable tool for future studies.