Norm values and psychometric properties of the brief symptom inventory-18 regarding individuals between the ages of 60 and 95.

OBJECTIVE: The SCL-90 and the SCL-90-R are the most applied measures regarding psychological distress. To reduce and prevent an overload to of the individuals, the Brief Symptom Inventory with 18 items (BSI-18) was developed based on the SCL-90. Since psychological disorders more frequently occur at an older age, there is a growing need for efficient instruments to measure distress in the elderly. However, the BSI-18's psychometric properties, norm values, and factorial structure have not yet been investigated in this age group. METHODS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the BSI-18 in a sample of elderly people and to establish norm values for this specific population. Subsequently, demographic information and BSI-18 results were collected from a sample totaling 884 (55% female, mean age of 70.75 years, SD = 7.08, age range = 60-95 years). The questionnaire contains three six-item scales: somatization (SOMA), anxiety (ANX), and depression (DEPR), which form a general symptom index (GSI). RESULTS: We found an acceptable to good model fit for a three-factor-model with a general GSI factor. The BSI-18's psychometric properties were satisfactory. Strict measurement invariance was shown for age and gender. Additionally, we found differences in psychological distress based on sociodemographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underline the growing need for preventive mechanisms for elderly people such as, e.g., (re)activating their social networks and strengthening their physical and psychological well-being.

[Healthy Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. A Mixed-methods Pilot Study]. / Gesunde Geschwister von Kindern mit Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen ­ Eine Mixed-Methods-Pilotstudie.

Healthy Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. A Mixed-methods Pilot Study Healthy siblings of chronically ill and/or disabled children may have an increased risk of developing behavioral problems; this is particularly given for siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Quality of life and distress of five siblings (12-15 years) of children with ASD were examined using self- and parent-proxy-reports. Guideline-based interviews were conducted with the siblings and their parents and analyzed according to Mayring. Quality of life described by the children resembled the KINDLR´s standardized range of scores, but parents described a decreased quality of life. Both siblings and parents reported low to medium distress. Interviews revealed healthy children are asked by their parents to take responsibility for their siblings with ASD. Parents assumed their healthy children are less affected by the ASD of the sibling. The healthy siblings described being "annoyed" by ASD-associated behavior and partly feeling "treated unfairly". They wished their sibling no longer "suffered" from ASD or behaved "normally". The results of this pilot study, albeit with a small sample, show siblings do experience low to medium burden. This burden is often caused by the sibling relationship or the ASD-associated behavior. Suggestions for supporting the healthy siblings are given.