Stages of Change – Continuous Measure (URICA-E2): psychometrics of a Norwegian version

Title.  Stages of Change – Continuous Measure (URICA-E2): psychometrics of a Norwegian version.
Aim.  This paper is a report of research to translate the English version of the Stages of Change continuous measure questionnaire (URICA-E2) into Norwegian and to test the validity of the questionnaire and its usefulness in predicting behavioural change.
Background.  While the psychometric properties of the Stages of Change categorical measure have been tested extensively, evaluation of the psychometric properties of the continuous questionnaire has not been described elsewhere in the literature.
Method.  Cross-sectional data were collected with a convenience sample of 198 undergraduate nursing students in 2005 and 2006. The English version of URICA-E2 was translated into Norwegian according to standardized procedures.
Findings.  Principal components analysis clearly confirmed five of the dimensions of readiness to change (Precontemplation Non-Believers, Precontemplation Believers, Contemplation, Preparation and Maintenance), while the sixth dimension, Action, showed the lowest Eigenvalue (0·93). Findings from the cluster analysis indicate distinct profiles among the respondents in terms of readiness to change their exercise behaviour.
Conclusion.  The URICA-E2 was for the most part replicated from Reed's original work. The result of the cluster analysis of the items associated with the factor 'Action' suggests that these do not adequately measure the factor.     

Descriptive Characteristics and Initial Psychometric Properties of the Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Disorder Scale

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is highly prevalent and associated with tissue damage, emotional distress, and psychiatric disorders. While often discussed in the context of Borderline Personality Disorder and suicide, research demonstrates that NSSI is distinct from these constructs and should be viewed as an independent diagnostic category. Recently, Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Disorder (NSSID) was included in the revised Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a condition for further study. In this article, we describe the properties of a self-report measure designed to assess proposed criteria for NSSID. Undergraduate students at 2 large, public universities completed the NSSID Scale (NSSIDS) along with other measures of NSSI characteristics and psychopathology. Among participants with a history of NSSI, approximately half (54.55%) met diagnostic criteria for NSSID. Participants were most frequently excluded from an NSSID diagnosis on the basis of criterion A (frequency of NSSI) and criterion E (distress or impairment related to NSSI), while participants were least likely to be excluded from diagnosis on the basis of criterion D (NSSI method exclusions) and criterion F (diagnostic “rule-outs”). Consistent with previous literature, the most commonly reported precipitants to NSSI were negative feelings or thoughts (criterion C2). Participants who met criteria for NSSID reported more severe depression, anxiety, and NSSI than participants who engaged in NSSI but did not meet criteria for NSSID. These results support the use of the NSSIDS as a reliable and valid self-report measure of NSSID symptoms.     

Executive control and dimensions of problem behaviors in preschool children

Background: Despite the widespread recognition of the importance of executive control (EC) in externalizing psychopathology, the relation between EC and problem behavior has not been well characterized, particularly in typically developing preschoolers. Method: Using the sample, battery of laboratory tasks, and latent variable modeling methods described in Wiebe, Espy, and Charak (2008) , systematic latent dimensions of parent‐rated problem behavior, measured by integrating scales from developmental and clinical traditions, were determined empirically, and then were related to EC. Results: Substantial relations between EC and problem behaviors were revealed by extracting the common variance of interest and eliminating extraneous variance, which were robust to estimated child intelligence and differed somewhat in preschool boys and girls. Conclusion: Preschool EC measured by laboratory tasks appears to tap abilities that strongly and robustly support broad control processes enabling behavioral regulation across cognitive and emotional domains.     

Evaluation of the psychometric characteristics of the Spanish version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

OBJECTIVE: To assess the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS). METHOD: We administered HADS to 685 participants (256 controls and 429 patients with five different diagnoses). The reliability of the instrument was assessed by a test-retest study. Construct validity studies were carried out through item-subscale correlation and factor analysis for the whole group and by each of the five different diagnoses. Three instruments were used as external criteria to assess concurrent validity. RESULTS: HADS test-retest reliability presented correlation coefficients above 0.85. The internal consistency was high, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.86 (anxiety) and 0.86 (depression). Factor analysis showed a clear two-factor structure for all groups. The results showed high concurrent validity with the Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and with the mental domains of the Short-Form Health Survey. CONCLUSION: The Spanish version of the HADS demonstrated good reliability and validity when used in medical patients.     

Improvement of inter-rater reliability of PANSS items and subscales by a standardized rater training

The present evaluation focused on the inter-rater reliability of single items and subscales of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) before and after a standardized rater training. The results of two independent studies comprising n=23 (study I) and n= 12 (study II) psychiatrists and videotaped interviews with schizophrenic patients were analysed. Chance-corrected coefficients of rating agreement with expert standards (weighted κ) were computed for single items and subscales of the PANSS. The results clearly demonstrate the importance of rater trainings. After three training sessions, 90% of the PANSS items reached an acceptable level of reliability (κ_w>0.40) in both evaluated studies, and for 80% of the PANSS items values of κ_w>0.60 were achieved.     

Measurement of psychological factors associated with genetic testing for hereditary breast,ovarian and colon cancers

Despite numerous individual studies of psychological factors (depression, anxiety, distress) related to genetic testing for inherited cancer syndromes (CGT), there has been no systematic review of the psychological factors are measured among individuals at increased risk for hereditary breast, ovarian, or colon cancer. Our review provides an analysis of psychological factors in studies of CGT and discusses the instruments most commonly used to measure them. We performed a literature search using three major OVID databases from 1993 to January 2003. In the 19 studies that met our inclusion criteria, the most commonly assessed psychological factors were distress, anxiety, and depression. These factors were most often measured by the impact of event scale (IES), the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI), and the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies and Depression scale (CES-D), respectively. Our results show deficits in the existing body of literature on psychological factors associated with CGT including limited documentation of psychometrics and variability in instrumentation.     

Assessment of personal qualities in relation to admission to medical school

BACKGROUND: Recently there has been much scrutiny of the medical school admissions process by universities, the General Medical Council and the public. Improved objectivity, fairness and effectiveness of selection procedures are desirable. The ultimate outcome sought is the graduation of competent doctors who reflect the values of and are in tune with the communities they serve. METHODS: Applicants to the Scottish medical schools sat a battery of psychometric tests to measure cognitive ability, personality traits and moral/ethical reasoning (Personal Qualities Assessment, PQA). Analysis determined the potential impact of the latter variables, and those of educational background and socioeconomic class (assessed by residential 'deprivation category'), upon success in gaining a place to study medicine. RESULTS: Cognitive ability did not vary significantly as a function of gender or educational background, although there was a trend for it to be lower in individuals from more deprived backgrounds. Women as a group were more empathic, with a greater communitarian orientation, than men. There was no significant difference between individuals attending independent and state-funded schools in respect of any of the qualities measured by the PQA. Applicants from deprived backgrounds and those attending state-funded schools would not be disadvantaged by an admissions process based on the PQA. CONCLUSION: The incorporation of an assessment tool such as the PQA may have positive implications for widening access and the objective selection of suitable medical students, resulting in the training of doctors who are more representative of the community at large. A longterm follow-up of the professional careers of those medical students who completed the PQA will be undertaken.     

Measuring patient acceptance of implantable cardiac device therapy: initial psychometric investigation of the Florida Patient Acceptance Survey

INTRODUCTION: Patient acceptance of implantable device therapy has been established as an important outcome but the operationalization and validation of a measure of patient acceptance of implantable device therapy has not been fully completed. This study sought to validate a new measure of patient acceptance of cardiac implantable devices called the Florida Patient Acceptance Survey (FPAS). METHODS: The sample consisted of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD; n = 58), and implantable atrioverter defibrillator (ICD-AT; n = 96), and pacemaker (PM, n = 84) patients. Mean age of all participants was 69 years; they were mostly male (62%) and married (75%). The final FPAS comprised 15 items with four consistent factors: Return to Function, Device-Related Distress, Positive Appraisal, and Body Image Concerns. RESULTS: The total FPAS demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83), and internal consistency for each of the subscales ranged from 0.74 to 0.89. The FPAS demonstrated convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity when compared to other self-report measures of QOL, atrial symptoms, depression, and anxiety. A total FPAS score can be formed and between group comparisons with this sample indicated that ICD patients report a high level of acceptance (mean = 76), ICD-AT patients report a significantly higher level of acceptance (mean = 81.1), and PM patients reported the highest level of patient acceptance (mean = 85.4) of these implantable device groups. CONCLUSION: This initial psychometric investigation of the FPAS suggests that the FPAS may be useful in both clinical and research settings to assess patient acceptance of implantable cardiac devices.