Cocaine use disorder criteria in a clinical sample: an analysis using Item Response Theory, factor analysis, and network analysis.

Background: The conceptualization of substance use disorders (SUDs) was modified in successive editions of the DSM. Dimensionality and inclusion/exclusion of several criteria was studied using various analytic approaches.Objective: The study aimed to deepen our knowledge of the interrelationships between the diagnostic criteria for cocaine use disorder (CUD), applying three different analytical techniques: factor analysis, Item Response Theory (IRT) models, and network analysis.Methods: 425 (85.4% male) outpatients were evaluated for CUD using the Substance Dependence Severity Scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis, 2-parameter logistic model (IRT) and network analysis were applied to analyze the relationships between the diagnostic criteria.Results: The results show that "legal problems" criterion is not congruent with the CUD measure on three analyses. Also, network analysis suggests the usefulness of the "craving" criterion. The criterion "quit/control" is the one that presents the best centrality indices and expected influence, showing strong relationships with the criteria of "craving," "tolerance," "neglect roles" and "activities given up."Conclusions: Network analysis appears to be a useful and complementary technique to factor analysis and IRT for understanding CUD. The "quit/control" criterion emerges as a central criterion to understand CUD.

Developing an accurate and efficient tool for the internalizing spectrum: A simulation study of the adaptive algorithm to the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms II (IDAS-II).

OBJECTIVES: This research simulates an adaptive version of the IDAS-II (IDAS-CAT). METHODS: 2021 participants from both community (n = 1692) and patients (n = 329) samples completed the IDAS-II. Item response theory metric properties of the IDAS-II full test and the 20-items of the general depression (GD) scale were obtained. The efficiency and accuracy of different computerized adaptive algorithms were simulated. Different subsamples completed additional external measures in order to gather evidence of validity of the scores estimated with the simulated adaptive algorithms selected. RESULTS: Both unidimensional computerized adaptive testing algorithm selected for the GD scale and the bifactor model chosen for the full test, allow 70% reduction in the length of administration, maintaining a measurement error below 0.30 on the general and 0.50 on the specific factors. Results show high correlations of the scores estimated with the adaptive algorithms and the estimates based on the full test, as well as correlations with external criteria almost equal to those generated with the full test. CONCLUSIONS: IDAS-CAT could be a reliable and fast tool for measuring internalizing spectrum.

Assessing Internalizing Symptoms and Their Relation with Levels of Impairment: Evidence-Based Cutoffs for Interpreting Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS-II) Scores.

Tests and scales measuring psychological disorders should provide information about how scores relate to other constructs such as quality of life or functional impairment. Such information is necessary to allow that their scores contribute to clinical decision making. The current study analyzes the clinical utility of the Spanish version of the Inventory for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS-II) to discriminate between different levels of functional impairment and identify the IDAS-II scales that contribute most to explaining impairment. The total sample (N = 1390) consists of two subsamples: a community sample of the general population (n = 1072) selected by random sampling; and a sample of patients (n = 318) from public and private mental health services. The Spanish IDAS-II for measuring internalizing symptoms and WHODAS 2.0 for measuring impairment were administered to all participants. All scales show statistically significant higher scores in the patient sample, with Cohen's d effect sizes values greater than 0.30, except for well-being (d = 0.19). The cutoff values and their confidence intervals do not overlap with the means of either the community or patient sample. AUC values for most of the scales are above .70, except for appetite gain, ordering, euphoria, cleaning, and well-being. Multiple linear regression model using IDAS-II scales explain 57.1% of the variance of the WHODAS 2.0 (F 12.1377 = 155.305; p < .001). Cutoff values provided allow us to reliably differentiate between the patients and community samples. Spanish IDAS-II scores show greater sensitivity and specificity in detecting those with greater impairment. General Depression, Lassitude, Panic and Claustrophobia contribute to impairment in a greater extent. Knowledge of which symptoms are most related with impairment, allows healthcare providers to improve treatment planning based on empirical evidence.

Spanish Adaptation of the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS-II) and a study of its psychometric properties.

BACKGROUND: The Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS-II) is composed of 99 items organized into 18 specific scales that provides dimensional assessment of depression, anxiety and bipolar symptoms. To date, IDAS-II is only available in the English and Turkish population. The main purpose of this study is to adapt the IDAS-II to the Spanish population and to assess the psychometric properties. METHODS: Participants included community adults (n = 620) and college students (n = 378). All participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Hypomania Check List-32, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version and Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, in addition to the Spanish version of the IDAS-II. RESULTS: The results indicate good internal consistency and high temporal stability of the Spanish version of the IDAS-II. Confirmatory factor analyses show for the first time that the three-factor structure of the IDAS-II (Distress, Obsessions/Fear, and Positive Mood) loads on a second order factor, labeled "Internalizing" according to the Hierarchical Taxonomy Of Psychopathology (HiTOP). LIMITATIONS: Study was conducted exclusively on student and community samples and some of the measures used as gold-standard have presented limitations CONCLUSIONS: According to previous studies, the results supported the convergent and discriminant validity of the majority of IDAS-II scales. IDAS-II is useful in assessing the severity of depression, anxiety and bipolar symptoms in research contexts in a Spanish population according to the HiTOP model. However, more evidence is required to prove the adequate functioning of the IDAS-II in clinical samples.