Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Psycho-educational Profile-Revised (CPEP-R)

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Psycho-educational Profile-Revised (PEP-R). The Chinese PEP-R (CPEP-R) was administered to 63 preschool children with symptoms of autistic disorder recruited from special child-care centers in Hong Kong. Results showed that the scales of the CPEP-R were internally consistent, reliable across raters and temporally stable. Regarding the concurrent validity of the CPEP-R, the developmental score and developmental age assessed by the CPEP-R were significantly correlated with the Merrill–Palmer Scale of Mental Tests and the Hong Kong Based Adaptive Behavior Scale. The Behavioral Scale of the CPEP-R was also significantly related to the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Besides replicating the findings in the Western context, the present study suggests that the psychometric properties of the PEP-R are stable across cultures and the related findings support the cross-cultural reliability of the tool.     

The Reliability and Validity of Kiddie‐Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia ‐ Present and Life‐time Version ‐ Persian Version

Background: The validity and reliability of a Persian version of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia‐Present and Lifetime Version (K‐SADS‐PL‐P) was evaluated. Method: The K‐SADS‐PL‐P was administered to 102 inpatients (mean age = 15.3 yrs, SD = 1.81) in a child and adolescent psychiatric ward. The psychometric properties were evaluated in comparison to the results of clinical diagnosis. Results: The K‐SADS‐PL‐P showed good‐to‐excellent concurrent validity in diagnosing current major disorders. Test‐retest reliabilities of most of the current diagnoses were also good to excellent. Conclusion: The Persian version of the K‐SADS‐PL provides reliable and valid youth psychiatric diagnoses.     

Validation of the Chinese Version of the Affective Exercise Experiences Questionnaire (AFFEXX-C)

Despite the well-established benefits of regular physical activity (PA) on health, a large proportion of the world populationdoes not achieve the recommended level of regular PA. Although affective experiences toward PA may play a key role tofoster a sustained engagement in PA, they have been largely overlooked and crudely measured in the existing studies. Toaddress this shortcoming, the Affective Exercise Experiences (AFFEXX) questionnaire has been developed to measuresuch experiences. Specifically, this questionnaire was developped to assess the following three domains: antecedentappraisals (e.g., liking vs. disliking exercise in groups), core affective exercise experiences (i.e., pleasure vs. displeasure,energy vs. tiredness, and calmness vs. tension), and exercise motivation (i.e., attraction vs. antipathy toward exercise).The current study aimed to validate a Chinese version of the AFFEXX questionnaire (AFFEXX-C). In study 1, 722Chinese college students provided data for analyses of factorial, convergent, discriminant, criterion validity, and testretest reliability of the AFFEXX-C. In addition, 1,300 college students were recruited in study 2 to further validate itsstructural model. Results showed that the AFFEXX-C demonstrates a good fit and reliability. Additionally, resultsfurther supported the hypothesized model based on previous research: antecedent appraisals predicted core affectiveexercise experiences, which in turn predicted attraction-antipathy toward physical exercise. The AFFEXX-C was foundto be a reliable and valid measure of affective exercise experiences in a population of Chinese college students.     

Validity of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) for the detection of alcohol-related problems among male geriatric outpatients.

Alcoholism is a frequent and underdiagnosed mental health problem of later life. Its detection often relies on the use of screening instruments such as the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST). The authors investigated the properties of the scale in a sample of 122 older adults recruited from a geriatric outpatient service in S?o Paulo, Brazil. Thirty-five subjects met criteria for the diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence according to DSM-III-R. The cutoff point 4/5 was associated with a sensitivity of 91.4%, specificity of 83.9%, and positive and negative predictive values of 69.6% and 96.0%, respectively. These results indicate that the MAST is a good screening test for the detection of alcohol abuse and dependence in an elderly male population and that the MAST should be used in combination with a questionnaire assessing the frequency/quantity of alcohol consumption to optimize the detection of cases and characterize their current drinking patterns.     

Psychometric Properties of the Dutch Version of the Self-Sufficiency Matrix (SSM-D)

Measuring treatment outcomes can be challenging in patients who experience multiple interlinked problems, as is the case in public mental health care (PMHC). This study describes the development and psychometric properties of a Dutch version of the self-sufficiency matrix (SSM-D), an instrument that measures outcomes and originates from the US. In two different settings, clients were rated using the SSM-D in combination with the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) and the Camberwell assessment of need short appraisal schedule (CANSAS). The results provided support for adequate psychometric properties of the SSM-D. The SSM-D had a solid single factor structure and internal consistency of the scale was excellent. In addition, convergent validity of the SSM-D was indicated by strong correlations between HoNOS and CANSAS, as well as between several subdomains. Further research is needed to establish whether the results presented here can be obtained in other PMHC settings.     

Psychometric Properties of the Mandarin Version of the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST): An Exploratory Study

Limited studies have investigated the latent autistic traits in the mainland Chinese population for autism spectrum conditions (ASC). This study explored the psychometric properties of a Mandarin Chinese version of the CAST in a sample consisting of 737 children in mainstream schools and 50 autistic cases. A combination of categorical data factor analysis and item response theory suggested a good-fit model of a two-factor solution for 28 items on the Mandarin CAST including social and communication, and inflexible/stereotyped language and behaviours (Goodness-of-fit indices: RMSEA = 0.029, CFI = 0.957, TLI = 0.950, SRMR = 0.064). The correlation between the two factors was moderate (GFC = 0.425). This study provided evidence for the CAST as a multidimensional measure for ASC screening in a Chinese population and also showed that the symptom manifestation of ASC in Chinese children shares similarity with western populations.     

Romanian Version of the Internet Addiction Test: Psychometric Properties and Cross-Gender Invariance

Nowadays, excessive use of the Internet and addiction to it became constant concerns among researchers. The proliferation of this research stream came along with a constant need for valid operationalizations. Our study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) on a Romanian sample (n = 421 students). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor solution: Mental Disorder (α = .78); Time Management Disorder (α = .79). Also, the overall IAT had good reliability (α = .86). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the factorial structure and through multigroup comparisons revealed that the instrument is invariant across genders. Further proofs in support of the IAT’s validity were given by the significant associations with social anxiety, social support, and dissociation. Moreover, each scale and also the overall IAT score correlated positively with participants’ self-reported time spent online (both during a week’s working days and during weekends), and the time spent on the Facebook messenger smartphone application. The study showed that the Romanian version of the IAT has promising psychometric properties and can be successfully used in research regarding excessive Internet use.

     

Psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Short Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview (K-SPRINT)

Aims:  The Short Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Rating Interview (SPRINT) is a validated, eight-item, brief global assessment scale for PTSD. This report investigated the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the SPRINT (K-SPRINT).
Methods:  Eighty-seven PTSD patients, 47 other psychiatric patients, and 63 healthy control subjects were enrolled in the study. All subjects completed a psychometric assessment package that included the K-SPRINT and the Korean versions of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).
Results:  The K-SPRINT showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.86) and test–retest reliability ( r  = 0.82). K-SPRINT showed moderatecorrelations with CAPS ( r  = 0.71). An exploratory factor analysis produced one K-SPRINT factor. The optimal diagnostic efficiency (91.9%) of the K-SPRINT was found at a total score of 15, at which point the sensitivity and specificity were 90.8% and 92.7%, respectively.
Conclusions:  The present findings demonstrate that the K-SPRINT had good psychometric properties and can be used as a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of PTSD.     

Reliability and Validity of a German Version of the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF) Scale for Self-Injurious Behavior in Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities

The psychometric properties of a German version of the Questions About Behavioral Function Scale (QABF) (Matson & Vollmer, 1995 Matson, J. L. and Vollmer, T. R., eds. 1995. User's guide: Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF), Baton Rouge, LA: Scientific Publishers.  [Google Scholar]) were examined in a sample of 522 individuals with intellectual disabilities residing in large facilities participated. The factor structure was first examined by exploratory factor analysis, yielding a five-factor-solution that was identical to the one described by the authors of the QABF and was statistically and clinically meaningful. Furthermore the factor structure was validated by confirmatory factor analysis. Fit indices indicated satisfactory model fit. Internal consistency was found to be good with Cronbach's alphas ranging from .84 to .62.

Interrater reliability was fair with intraclass correlations ranging from .66 to.58.     

Psychometric Properties of the Network Relationship Inventory-Social Provision Version in Chinese Youth

Given the lack of psychometric research on friendship measures in non-Western countries, this study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the network relationship inventory-social provision version (NRI-SPV-C) in a sample of 200 young adolescents living in China (91 boys; M age = 13.21 years). Results from confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that a hierarchical structure model with two second-order factors (Social Support, Negative Interactions) and nine first-order factors (Companionship, Intimacy, Instrumental Aid, Nurturance, Affection, Admiration, Reliable Alliance, Conflict, and Antagonism) was the best-fitting model. High internal consistency and high construct reliability were found for all factors. Girls reported higher levels of Social Support compared with boys, though no gender differences emerged for Negative Interactions. Social Support was positively associated with youth’s friendship satisfaction (Satisfaction), whereas Negative Interactions was negatively associated with Satisfaction. Findings suggest the NRI-SPV-C may be a fruitful measure for assessing youth’s friendship quality in China.     

Reliability and validity of severity dimensions of psychopathology assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐5 (SCID)

This study examined whether the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID), a widely used semistructured interview designed to assess psychopathology categorically, can be adapted to identify reliable and valid severity dimensions of psychopathology. The present study also examined whether these severity dimensions have better psychometric properties (internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and concurrent and predictive validity) than categorical diagnoses. Participants (N = 234) were recruited from the community and clinics. Retest reliability and prospective predictive validity (symptoms and functioning 1 year later) were examined in subsamples of participants. Dimensional severity scales were created from an adapted version of the SCID for both current and lifetime major depression, alcohol, substance, post‐traumatic stress disorder, panic, agoraphobia, social anxiety, specific phobia, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. The SCID's severity scales demonstrated substantial internal consistency (all Cronbach's αs >.80), test–retest reliability, and concurrent and predictive validity. Symptom severity scales demonstrated significant incremental validity over and above categorical diagnoses for both current and prospective outcomes. The psychometric properties of SCID‐identified symptom scales were far superior to the psychometrics of categorical diagnoses for both current and lifetime psychopathology. These results highlight the feasibility and utility of the SCID to assess reliable and valid symptom severity dimensions of both current and lifetime psychopathology.     

Psychometric Properties of the Life Events Checklist-Korean Version

Objective

The Life Events Checklist is a brief screening instrument that is used for potentially traumatic events such as accidents, disasters, sexual or physical assaults, or combat-related exposures. The original English version was recently tested for reliability and validity and it showed good psychometric properties, and so its use is recommended for the assessment of trauma.

Methods

This study investigated the reliability and validity of a Life Events Checklist-Korean version in 157 consecutive psychiatric outpatients at a university-affiliated teaching hospital. The questionnaire also included the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Correlation and principal component analyses were conducted.

Results

The four week test-retest reliability was good and the internal consistency was acceptable. In addition, the number of traumatic events was significantly correlated with the posttraumatic depressive and anxiety symptoms, which demonstrated the convergent validity of the scale. Additionally, exploratory factor analysis identified a six-factor structure that explained 57.2% of the total variance.

Conclusion

These findings support the reliability and validity of the Life Events Checklist-Korean version.     

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the adult ADHD Self-report Scale

Although attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood has become a topic of considerable interest to psychiatrists over the past decade, little is known about the prevalence or correlates of adult ADHD in the Chinese population. As a first step in addressing this problem, this study presents data on the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the World Health Organization's Adult ADHD Self-report Scale (ASRS) in a sample of 1031 young males from an army base and 3298 young adults from two colleges. All participants completed the Chinese ASRS. Participants from an army base also completed a clinical assessment including the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) for assessing childhood ADHD, the Impulsiveness Scale for measuring the severity of current impulsive behaviors, and information about substance use. Results showed good concordance (intraclass correlations = 0.80 approximately 0.85) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83 approximately 0.91) among the ASRS subscales and moderate to high correlations between these subscales and the WURS (Pearson's correlations = 0.37 approximately 0.66). The Chinese ASRS also demonstrated the ability to predict childhood disruptive problems and habitual use of substances. Our findings suggest that the Chinese ASRS is a reliable and valid instrument to assist in screening for adult ADHD.