Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the meaning in life scale in a sample of young adults.

BACKGROUND: Young adults are in a constant phase of realizing their meaning in life while being in a constant pursuit of meaning. Meaning in life is a subjective, personal construct related to the perception of one's own life. Considering that there are no measures that study this construct within the Arab context, this study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) in the Lebanese context with a sample of young adults. METHODS: A sample of 684 Lebanese young adults was recruited for this study, having a mean age of 21.74 years, 65.6% of which were females. Through an online questionnaire, participants were requested to complete the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-8) and the Oviedo Grit Scale (EGO). RESULTS: CFA indicated that fit of the original bi-dimensional model of MLQ scores was inadequate. Items 9 and 10 cross-loaded to both MLQ factors. After removal of those 2 items, the final model displayed good fit indices. Reliability was good for the Search (ω = 0.89 / α = 0.89) and Presence (ω = 0.88 / α = 0.87) subscales. Additionally, across three levels of gender invariance (Configural, Metric and Scalar), no significant gender-based distinctions were observed in the MLQ scores. The Search subscale was significantly and positively associated with higher GRIT but not psychological distress, whereas the Presence subscale was significantly associated with higher GRIT and lower psychological distress. CONCLUSION: The results of this study contribute to the psychometric reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the MLQ and makes it available for dissemination among young adults within the Arab context. This allows for the implementation of new research that target construct of meaning in life, allowing for the accessibility of interventions that aim to foster the presence of and search for meaning in the lives of young adults within the Arab nations.

Mental health during ecological crisis: translating and validating the Hogg Eco-anxiety Scale for Argentinian and Spanish populations.

BACKGROUND: Eco-anxiety is increasingly recognized as a shared experience by many people internationally, encompassing fear of environmental catastrophe and anxiety about ecological crises. Despite its importance in the context of the changing climate, measures for this construct are still being developed in languages other than English. METHODS: To contribute to global eco-anxiety research, we translated the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (HEAS) into Spanish, creating the HEAS-SP. We validated this measure in samples from both Argentina (n = 990) and Spain (n = 548), performing measurement invariance and confirmatory factor analyses. Internal consistency of the scale and score stability over time were investigated through reliability analyses. Differences in eco-anxiety across sociodemographic variables were explored through Student's t-tests and Pearson's r tests. RESULTS: The four-factor model of the HEAS-SP comprising affective and behavioural symptoms, rumination, and anxiety about personal impact demonstrated excellent model fit. We found good internal consistency for each subscale, and established measurement invariance between Spanish and Argentine samples, as well as across genders and participants' age. Spanish participants reported higher scores on the affective symptoms and personal impact anxiety factors compared to the Argentinian sample. Also, men reported lower levels than women on the subscales of affective symptoms, rumination, and personal impact anxiety. It was found that the relationship between both age and personal impact anxiety and age and affective symptoms varies significantly depending on the gender of the individuals. Younger participants tended to report higher scores on most dimensions of eco-anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: These findings enhance the global initiative to investigate, explore and therefore comprehend eco-anxiety by introducing the first valid and reliable Spanish-language version of this psychometric instrument for its use within Spanish and Argentinian populations. This study augments the body of evidence supporting the robust psychometric properties of the HEAS, as demonstrated in prior validations for Australian, Turkish, Portuguese, German, French, and Italian populations.

Towards precision in the diagnostic profiling of patients: leveraging symptom dynamics as a clinical characterisation dimension in the assessment of major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: International guidelines present overall symptom severity as the key dimension for clinical characterisation of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, differences may reside within severity levels related to how symptoms interact in an individual patient, called symptom dynamics. AIMS: To investigate these individual differences by estimating the proportion of patients that display differences in their symptom dynamics while sharing the same overall symptom severity. METHOD: Participants with MDD (n = 73; mean age 34.6 years, s.d. = 13.1; 56.2% female) rated their baseline symptom severity using the Inventory for Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report (IDS-SR). Momentary indicators for depressive symptoms were then collected through ecological momentary assessments five times per day for 28 days; 8395 observations were conducted (average per person: 115; s.d. = 16.8). Each participant's symptom dynamics were estimated using person-specific dynamic network models. Individual differences in these symptom relationship patterns in groups of participants sharing the same symptom severity levels were estimated using individual network invariance tests. Subsequently, the overall proportion of participants that displayed differential symptom dynamics while sharing the same symptom severity was calculated. A supplementary simulation study was conducted to investigate the accuracy of our methodology against false-positive results. RESULTS: Differential symptom dynamics were identified across 63.0% (95% bootstrapped CI 41.0-82.1) of participants within the same severity group. The average false detection of individual differences was 2.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of participants within the same depressive symptom severity group displayed differential symptom dynamics. Examining symptom dynamics provides information about person-specific psychopathological expression beyond severity levels by revealing how symptoms aggravate each other over time. These results suggest that symptom dynamics may be a promising new dimension for clinical characterisation, warranting replication in independent samples. To inform personalised treatment planning, a next step concerns linking different symptom relationship patterns to treatment response and clinical course, including patterns related to spontaneous recovery and forms of disorder progression.

Using machine learning to develop a five-item short form of the children's depression inventory.

BACKGROUND: Many adolescents experience depression that often goes undetected and untreated. Identifying children and adolescents at a high risk of depression in a timely manner is an urgent concern. While the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) is widely utilized in China, it lacks a localized revision or simplified version. With its 27 items requiring professional administration, the original CDI proves to be a time-consuming method for predicting children and adolescents with high depression risk. Hence, this study aimed to develop a shortened version of the CDI to predict high depression risk, thereby enhancing the efficiency of prediction and intervention. METHODS: Initially, backward elimination is conducted to identify various version of the short-form scales (e.g., three-item and five-item versions). Subsequently, the performance of five machine learning (ML) algorithms on these versions is evaluated using the area under the ROC curve (AUC) to determine the best algorithm. The chosen algorithm is then utilized to model the short-form scales, facilitating the identification of the optimal short-form scale based on predefined evaluation metrics. Following this, evaluation metrics are computed for all potential decision thresholds of the optimal short-form scale, and the threshold value is determined. Finally, the reliability and validity of the optimal short-form scale are assessed using a new sample. RESULTS: The study identified a five-item short-form CDI with a decision threshold of 4 as the most appropriate scale considering all assessment indicators. The scale had 81.48% fewer items than the original version, indicating good predictive performance (AUC = 0.81, Accuracy = 0.83, Recall = 0.76, Precision = 0.71). Based on the test of 315 middle school students, the results showed that the five-item CDI had good measurement indexes (Cronbach's alpha = 0.72, criterion-related validity = 0.77). CONCLUSIONS: This five-item short-form CDI is the first shortened and revised version of the CDI in China based on large local data samples.

Translation and validation of prolonged grief disorder (PG-13) scale in Urdu among bereaved adolescents with intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to translate and validate the Prolonged Grief Disorder (PG-13) scale from English into Urdu language. This involved examining its psychometric properties, evaluating its factor structure and assessing both convergent and discriminant validity. The study was conducted within the cultural context of Pakistan and focused on the assessment of manifestations of grief, including symptoms of prolonged grief, in adolescents with mild-to-moderate intellectual disability (ID). The PG-13 scale was selected for this study due to its demonstrated accuracy in measuring prolonged grieving symptoms in bereaved population. METHOD: A total of 140 adolescents, aged 10-19 years according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2018 criteria, were selected from 14 cities in Pakistan. These participants had lost loved ones within the time span of the last 4 years. The WHO (2018) guidelines for translation, adaptation, and validation were followed. RESULTS: The findings suggest that the translated and validated PG-13 scale has adequate psychometric properties, with Cronbach alpha coefficient of .97. Confirmatory factor analysis supports a single-factor structure for the scale, with factor loadings ranging from .80 to .95. CONCLUSION: The PG-13 Urdu version is a reliable and validated scale available for assessing grieving symptoms in the Pakistani context.

Temporal Stability of Dissociative Symptoms in the General Population.

ABSTRACT: The most widely used measure to quantify dissociative symptoms is the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). However, little information is available concerning its temporal stability. The purpose of this study was to assess the stability of DES scores after 4 years. A total of 316 respondents recruited from a general population in Brazil took part in baseline and follow-up (70.57% were men; mean age = 32.97, SD = 10.95, minimum = 22, maximum = 74). Temporal stability was assessed through test-retest correlations and mean-level stability analyses. We found that the DES total and subscale scores revealed moderate test-retest correlations, with small variations among the DES factors. No significant difference (p > 0.05) was found between average scores for times 1 and 2. Overall, DES scores are significantly stable over time. Future studies would benefit from an investigation of the correlates and predictors of dissociation at different time points.

Clinical Utility of Semistructured Interview and Scales to Assess Withdrawal Syndromes With Dose Reduction or Discontinuation of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: Withdrawal syndromes can occur after dose reduction or discontinuation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Few measurement instruments are available to assess them: Diagnostic Clinical Interview for Drug Withdrawal 1-New Symptoms of SSRI and SNRI (DID-W1) and Discontinuation Emergent Signs and Symptoms (DESS) checklist. We assessed their interrater reliability, verified the percent agreement between the two, and tested DESS sensitivity and specificity on the basis of the diagnoses formulated via the DID-W1. METHODS: One-hundred thirty-four subjects who referred for withdrawal at 3 outpatient facilities were enrolled and assessed via the DESS and the DID-W1. Percent agreement and Cohen κ were calculated to measure DID-W1 and DESS interrater reliability, as well as the agreement between DID-W1 and DESS items. Sensitivity and specificity of DESS were derived from the identification of true-positive, false-negative, true-negative, and false-positive on the DID-W1. RESULTS: Both tools showed excellent interrater reliability (DID-W1 Cohen κ = 0.958; DESS Cohen κ = 0.81-1). The degree of agreement between DID-W1 and DESS items was poor or fair (Cohen κ < 0.40) for some items and moderate (Cohen κ = 0.41-0.60) for others. Sensitivity and specificity of DESS were 0.937 (true-positive = 60, false-negative = 4) and 0.285 (true-negative = 20, false-positive = 50), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: DID-W1 was a reliable method to identify and diagnose withdrawal syndromes. The DESS checklist showed to be a useful tool for detecting withdrawal SSRI/SNRI symptoms when the aim is to achieve high sensitivity to identify true positives.

The Attitudes of Polish Women towards Breastfeeding Based on the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS).

BACKGROUND: The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS), which is used for the assessment of attitudes towards breastfeeding, has been found to be reliable and valid in a number of countries, but has not yet been psychometrically tested in Polish women. The purpose of the study was to report on the cultural adaptation of the IIFAS to Polish settings and on its validation, to evaluate the breastfeeding attitudes in Polish women who recently gave birth, and to identify the determinants of these attitudes. METHODS: The study was performed in a group of 401 women in their first postpartum days. RESULTS: Cronbach's α for the scale was 0.725. Discriminative power coefficients of all questionnaire items were higher than 0.2. Subscales were strongly correlated with the total score, with a correlation coefficient of 0.803 for the "favorable toward breastfeeding" subscale (p < 0.001), and 0.803 for the "favorable toward formula feeding" subscale (p < 0.05). For the item "A mother who occasionally drinks alcohol should not breastfeed her baby", the factor loading did not reach the criterion value, and so the item was not included in further analyses. The mean IIFAS score was 63.12 (±7.34). CONCLUSIONS: The Polish version of the IIFAS is a reliable and appropriate measure of women's attitudes towards infant feeding in Polish settings, with acceptable psychometric properties and construct validity.

Adaptation and psychometric evaluation of Hungarian version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic has had a global major healthcare, social and economic impact. In present study we aim to adapt the Fear of COVID-19 Scale to Hungarian. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forward-backward translation method was used to translate the English version of the scale to Hungarian. Participants were a convenience sample of 2175 university students and employees. The study was conducted between January 18th and February 12th 2021. The test battery included Hungarian versions of Fear of COVID-19 scale, short Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-H) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). RESULTS: The scale showed one-factor structure, the loadings on the factor were significant and strong (from .47 to .84). Internal consistency was very good (α = .84). Construct validity for the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was supported by significant and positive correlations with STAI (r = 0.402; p < 0.001) and BDI-H (r = 0.270; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The Hungarian version of Fear of COVID-19 Scale is a reliable and valid tool in assessing fear of coronavirus.

Usefulness of Hamilton rating scale for depression subset scales and full versions for electroconvulsive therapy.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the predictive value of subset scales and full versions of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) for therapeutic outcomes in ECT. METHODS: This secondary analysis of patients with major depression (N = 136; 63% female; age = 56.7 [SD = 14.8]) from the EFFECT-Dep trial (NCT01907217) examined the predictive value of Evans-6, Toronto-7, Gibbons-8 and Maier-Philip 6 HAMD subset scales and three 'full' versions (HAMD-17, HAMD-21 and HAMD-24) on therapeutic outcomes. We also examined early improvement on subset scales and full versions as predictors of response and remission and explored predictive abilities of individual HAMD-24 items. RESULTS: The subset scales and full scales lacked sufficient predictive ability for response and remission. Receiver operating characteristic curves identified a lack of discriminative capacity of HAMD subset scales and full versions at baseline to predict response and remission. Only the Maier-Philip-6 was significantly associated with percentage reduction in HAMD-24 scores from baseline to end of ECT course. Early improvement on most of the subset scales and full versions was a sensitive and specific predictor of response and remission. Four of the HAMD-24 items were significantly associated with response and one with remission. CONCLUSIONS: Limited utility of the HAMD subset scales and full versions in this context highlight a need for more tailored depression rating scales for ECT.

Accuracy of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for screening to detect major depression: updated systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To update a previous individual participant data meta-analysis and determine the accuracy of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the most commonly used depression screening tool in general practice, for detecting major depression overall and by study or participant subgroups. DESIGN: Systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Medline In-Process, and Other Non-Indexed Citations via Ovid, PsycINFO, Web of Science searched through 9 May 2018. REVIEW METHODS: Eligible studies administered the PHQ-9 and classified current major depression status using a validated semistructured diagnostic interview (designed for clinician administration), fully structured interview (designed for lay administration), or the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI; a brief interview designed for lay administration). A bivariate random effects meta-analytic model was used to obtain point and interval estimates of pooled PHQ-9 sensitivity and specificity at cut-off values 5-15, separately, among studies that used semistructured diagnostic interviews (eg, Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), fully structured interviews (eg, Composite International Diagnostic Interview), and the MINI. Meta-regression was used to investigate whether PHQ-9 accuracy correlated with reference standard categories and participant characteristics. RESULTS: Data from 44 503 total participants (27 146 additional from the update) were obtained from 100 of 127 eligible studies (42 additional studies; 79% eligible studies; 86% eligible participants). Among studies with a semistructured interview reference standard, pooled PHQ-9 sensitivity and specificity (95% confidence interval) at the standard cut-off value of ≥10, which maximised combined sensitivity and specificity, were 0.85 (0.79 to 0.89) and 0.85 (0.82 to 0.87), respectively. Specificity was similar across reference standards, but sensitivity in studies with semistructured interviews was 7-24% (median 21%) higher than with fully structured reference standards and 2-14% (median 11%) higher than with the MINI across cut-off values. Across reference standards and cut-off values, specificity was 0-10% (median 3%) higher for men and 0-12 (median 5%) higher for people aged 60 or older. CONCLUSIONS: Researchers and clinicians could use results to determine outcomes, such as total number of positive screens and false positive screens, at different PHQ-9 cut-off values for different clinical settings using the knowledge translation tool at www.depressionscreening100.com/phq. STUDY REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42014010673.

Psychometric properties of the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale-Persian version (TPDS-P).

BACKGROUND: Given the importance of screening pregnant women's distress, it was intended to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale (TPDS-P) for screening pregnancy distress. METHODS: This methodological psychometric study was conducted with participation of 360 pregnant women. The TPDS was translated into Persian. Factor analysis was used to investigate the construct validity. The results of the correlation test between the results of the two questionnaires, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) and TPDS-P, were used to determine the criterion validity of TPDS-P. Internal consistency of the items was calculated by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Stability of the results was examined by test-retest method and Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was calculated. Examining the structure of the factors derived from exploratory factor analysis, fitness of the model was done through confirmatory factor analysis. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software. RESULTS: Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) was 0.846 (p = 0.001). Sixteen items of TPDS-P accounted for 51.42 percent variances. The TPDS-P exhibited appropriate fitness. There was poor to moderate but significant direct correlation between the subscales of DASS-21 and TPDS-P. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the TPDS-P was 0.81 and ICC was 0.70. CONCLUSIONS: TPDS-P, with appropriate validity and reliability, can be used as a practical scale to evaluate women's distress during pregnancy in Farsi-speaking societies.

Psychometric evaluation of the postpartum specific anxiety scale in an Iranian population (PSAS-IR).

BACKGROUND: Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders among mothers during the postpartum period, which can lead to maternal and infant physical and psychological consequences. The Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS) predicts unique variance in postnatal outcomes over and above general anxiety tools. It has never been used in Iran and its validity and reliability have not been assessed either. Therefore, the present study aimed to translate and investigate the psychometric properties of the PSAS-IR. METHODS: 510 women, from six weeks to six months postpartum, were selected through random sampling in 2020. After forward and back-translation, the face validity, content validity, and construct validity of PSAS (through confirmatory factor analysis) were examined. The reliability of the scale was assessed using both internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest stability methods. RESULTS: CVI and CVR values of the PSAS tool were 0.89 and 0.88, respectively. The good fit indices confirmed the validity of four-factor structure. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and Intra Correlation Coefficient (ICC) equaled 0.93 and 0.92, respectively. CONCLUSION: The Persian version of PSAS is a valid and reliable four-factor scale, it will improve the measurement of postpartum anxiety in an Iranian setting. This will improve the measurement of postpartum anxiety in an Iranian setting.

Persistent level of mental distress in PTSD patients is not reflected in cytokine levels 1 year after the treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Cross-sectional data show that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients often have increased levels of circulating inflammatory markers. There is, however, still a paucity of longitudinal studies with long follow-up times on levels of cytokines in such patients. The current study assesses patients with and without PTSD diagnosis 1 year after discharge from inpatient treatment. METHODS: Patients in treatment for serious non-psychotic mental disorders were recruited at the beginning of their treatment stay at a psychiatric centre in Norway. Ninety patients submitted serum samples and filled out the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-90 Revised Global Severity Index (HSCL-90R GSI) questionnaire during their mainstay and at a follow-up stay 1 year after discharge. Of these patients, 33 were diagnosed with PTSD, 48 with anxiety, depression, or eating disorder, while 9 patients had missing data. The patients were diagnosed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). RESULTS: At the follow-up stay (T3), PTSD patients had higher levels of GSI scores than non-PTSD patients (p = 0.048). These levels were unchanged from the year before (T2) in both groups. The levels of circulating cytokines/chemokine did not differ between the PTSD and non-PTSD patients at T3. At T2, however, the PTSD and non-PTSD groups exhibited different levels of interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) (p = 0.053), IL-1RA (p = 0.042), and TNF-α (p = 0.037), with the PTSD patients having the higher levels. CONCLUSION: Despite exhibiting different mental distress scores, the PTSD and non-PTSD patients did not differ regarding levels of circulating inflammatory markers at 1-year follow-up.

The comparison of psychological scales as hospitalization predictors between adult and elderly suicide attempters.

BACKGROUND: During the process of managing suicide attempters in the emergency department (ED), the importance of hospitalization has been emphasized. Lethality and intent have been suggested as hospitalization determinants of suicide attempters, but their predictive values remain limited in adult and elderly populations. METHODS: Using prospectively collected the ED-based Suicide Registry, data from suicide attempters over 18 years old was retrospectively studied (2010-2020). The enrolled participants were divided into adult (N = 832) and elderly (>65 years, N = 378) groups. Suicide lethality and intent were assessed by the Risk-Rescue Rating Scale (RRRS) and Suicide Intent Scale (SIS), respectively. The moderating effects of age on the relationship between the psychological scales and hospitalization were examined by entering the interaction terms into a multivariable regression model. The predictive ability of each scale for hospitalization was evaluated in terms of performance and goodness-of-fit. RESULTS: Both scales' scores in both age groups were significantly higher in hospitalized patients than non-hospitalized patients. Interaction result indicated that only the odds of RRRS for hospitalization significantly differed by age group. Moreover, the predictive performance for hospitalization significantly differed by age group in RRRS but not SIS. In predicting hospitalization, the AUC of the RRRS was significantly higher than that of the SIS in the elderly group but not in the adult group. Comparing the two groups, the RRRS of the elderly group tended to have higher AUC than the adult group, whereas the AUC of the SIS was similar. The RRRS in both groups had a better overall fit compared to the SIS for hospitalization, but its best overall fit and strength with greater power were observed in the elderly group. CONCLUSIONS: The age-by-RRRS interaction is significantly associated with hospitalization, and the RRRS implementation as a hospitalization determinant is more useful and suitable for elderly suicide attempters than for adult suicide attempters in an emergency setting.

Clinical validation of ratings on the six-item Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale obtained via the Simplified Negative and Positive Symptoms Interview.

BACKGROUND: The six-item version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-6) has shown promise as a brief measure of the severity of core symptoms of schizophrenia. However, since all prior analyses of the PANSS-6 were based on data extracted from studies using the full 30-item PANSS (PANSS-30), it remains unknown whether it is possible to obtain valid information for the PANSS-6 ratings via a brief interview, such as the Simplified Negative and Positive Symptoms Interview (SNAPSI). AIMS: We aimed to validate the PANSS-6 ratings obtained via the SNAPSI using the PANSS-6 scores extracted from the PANSS-30 ratings obtained via the comprehensive Structured Clinical Interview for PANSS (SCI-PANSS) as the gold-standard reference. METHODS: The PANSS-6 ratings based on the SNAPSI and the PANSS-30 ratings based on the SCI-PANSS were conducted by independent raters with established inter-rater reliability. RESULTS: Seventy-seven inpatients with schizophrenia (Mage = 35.1 ± 11.7 years; males = 57%; paranoid schizophrenia = 75%) participated in the study. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the PANSS-6 total scores obtained using the SNAPSI and the PANSS-30-derived PANSS-6 total scores via the SCI-PANSS was 0.77 (p < 0.001). The ICC for the PANSS-6 total score and the PANSS-30-derived PANSS-8 (Andreasen's remission criteria) was 0.75 (p < 0.001). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient for changes in PANSS-6 total scores via the SNAPSI and changes in PANSS-30-derived PANSS-6 total scores was 0.70 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Using the SNAPSI to rate the PANSS-6 enables a focused and brief assessment of the severity of core symptoms of schizophrenia, which facilitates measurement-based care and clinical decision making in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Portuguese validation of the Adult Separation Anxiety-Questionnaire (ASA-27).

Adult separation anxiety disorder (ASAD) is characterized by developmentally inappropriate and excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from those to whom the individual is attached. Despite the high rates of this diagnosis among Portuguese adults, there is a lack of measures to assess it. In this study, we assessed the psychometric properties of a Portuguese adaptation of the Adult Separation Anxiety questionnaire (ASA-27) on a sample of 267 adults (72.7% women) aged 18-80 years (M = 40.5, SD = 13.1). Factor structure, internal consistency, and convergence validity were examined. This study confirmed the single-factor structure of the Portuguese version of ASA-27. Consistency was high for the total sample (ω = .92) and by gender (ω = .93 and 92, men and women groups, respectively). The scale was positively related to the Portuguese version of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (r = .57, p< .001, for both State and trait anxiety scales) and Composite Codependency Scale total score (r = .29, p< .001). In addition, the ASA-27 total score showed incremental validity in the explanation of anxiety measured by STAI. In conclusion, results show that the Portuguese version of the ASA-27 is a reliable and valid measure of ASAD.

Hospital anxiety and depression scale exhibits good consistency but shorter assessment time than Zung self-rating anxiety/depression scale for evaluating anxiety/depression in non-small cell lung cancer.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to compare Zung self-rating anxiety/depression scale (SAS/SDS) and hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) regarding the detection rate, detection consistency, and time of assessment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.Totally 290 NSCLC patients who underwent surgical resection were consecutively recruited and clinical data of patients were collected. Patients' anxiety and depression were assessed using HADS and SAS/SDS when they were discharged from hospital and consumption of the time for completing HADS and SAS/SDS was recorded.The anxiety detection rates by SAS (57.9%) and HADS-A (51.0%) were of no difference (P = .095). Also, there was no difference in anxiety severity detected by the 2 scales (P = .467). Additional correlation analysis revealed that both anxiety scores (r = 0.702, P < .001) and detected anxiety (Kappa = 0.626, P < .001) were consistent by SAS and HADS-A. Regarding depression, depression detection rate by SDS (47.6%) was higher than that of HADS-D (39.3%) (P = .044); the depression severity by SDS was more advanced than that by HADS-D (P = .002). The subsequent correlation analysis showed that both depression scores (r = 0.639, P < .001) and detected depression (Kappa = 0.624, P < .001) were consistent by SDS and HADS-D. In addition, the time for HADS assessment (7.6 ±â€Š1.2 minutes) was shorter than SAS/SDS assessment (16.2 ±â€Š2.1 minutes) (P < .001).HADS could be a better choice for assessing anxiety and depression in NSCLC patients, benefiting from its shorter assessment time but consistent detection rate compared with SAS/SDS.