A validation of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale 12-item research short-form for use during global crises with five translations.

BACKGROUND: Global crises inevitably increase levels of anxiety in postpartum populations. Effective and efficient measurement is therefore essential. This study aimed to create a 12-item research short form of the 51-item Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale [PSAS] and validate it for use in rapid response research at a time of global crises [PSAS-RSF-C]. We also present the same 12-items, in five other languages (Italian, French, Chinese, Spanish, Dutch) to increase global accessibility of a psychometric tool to assess maternal mental health. METHODS: Twelve items from the PSAS were selected on the basis of a review of their factor loadings. An on-line sample of UK mothers (N = 710) of infants up to 12 weeks old completed the PSAS-RSF-C during COVID-19 'lockdown'. RESULTS: Principal component analyses on a randomly split sample (n = 344) revealed four factors, identical in nature to the original PSAS, which in combination explained 75% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analyses (n = 366) demonstrated the four-factor model fit the data well. Reliability of the overall scale and of the underlying factors in both samples proved excellent. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest the PSAS-RSF-C may prove useful as a clinical screening tool and is the first postpartum-specific psychometric scale to be validated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This offers psychometrically sound assessment of postpartum anxiety. By increasing the accessibility of the PSAS, we aim to enable researchers the opportunity to measure maternal anxiety, rapidly, at times of global crisis.

A comparison of two measures to screen for emotional health difficulties during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of a generic mood questionnaire (Matthey Generic Mood Questionnaire, MGMQ) against the established Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in perinatal mental health mood screening. BACKGROUND: Many perinatal clinical services use the EPDS to screen for depression, and some may consider using it to screen for anxiety. A new scale, the MGMQ, is designed to screen for a wide variety of emotions, not just depression or anxiety. It comprises a generic distress question, an impact question, as well as two clinical questions. Its brevity, and categorical scoring format, may also mean it is less susceptible than the EPDS to needing a myriad of different screen-positive scores for women from different cultures and during different perinatal time periods. METHODS: Two hundred and ten Italian women in their third trimester of pregnancy completed the EPDS and MGMQ while attending routine antenatal clinic appointments or antenatal classes in the north of Italy, between 2015 and 2016. RESULTS: The Distress and Lower Impact question thresholds showed acceptable receiver operating characteristics with the various EPDS screen positive thresholds. The Higher Impact question threshold, however, had lower than acceptable sensitivity. By contrast, the EPDS was poor at detecting women who on the MGMQ said that they were distressed and significantly bothered by their mood. The possible reasons for the discrepancies in screen-positive status between the two measures are discussed. CONCLUSION: The MGMQ is a useful tool to aid in screening for a wide range of emotional difficulties in the perinatal period.

Surveying prenatal attachment in fathers: the Italian adaptation of the Paternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (PAAS-IT).

OBJECTIVE: This study focuses on the process of the father's bonding with the fetus and aims to assess the psychometric properties of the Italian translation of the Paternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (PAAS). BACKGROUND: The construct of prenatal attachment has been created to systematically investigate the nature of the particular bond that develops in the minds of parents expecting a child. Paternal attachment to the unborn child has not been well explored until now, despite its undoubted importance. The PAAS is a 16-item questionnaire evaluating paternal thoughts, feelings, attitudes and emotions towards the fetus validated with Australian fathers. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. A forward-backward translation was used to obtain the PAAS Italian version (PAAS-IT). A sample of 165 Italian fathers completed the PAAS-IT, the 20-Toronto Alexithymia Scale and a sociodemographic questionnaire also investigating the father's attitudes towards the fetus. The reliability and construct validity of the PAAS-IT were evaluated. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were conducted. RESULTS: The PAAS-IT psychometric characteristics were adequate. The PCA yielded a two-dimensional model explaining 34% of the variance. The CFA acknowledges the truthfulness of this model. The items loading on the two factors did not exactly match that found in the original PAAS, suggesting the influence of specific cultural features. CONCLUSIONS: The PAAS-IT is a reliable and valid instrument to use in Italian clinical settings to investigate the development of the paternal attachment towards the unborn child.