Psychometric Properties of the Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Scale in a Sample of Adolescents and Young Adults.

Background: Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are a set of chronic or recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms (GS) with great psychobiological complexity. The appearance of FGIDs harms quality of life and drains medical resources. Methods: Psychometric properties of the Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Scale (GSSS) based on Rome IV criteria were examined in a sample of 1247 individuals with typical development. Observations were randomly divided into two subsets, namely, subsample 1 (n = 624) and subsample 2 (n = 623). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed with data from subsample 1, whilst confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed with data from subsample 2. Internal consistency of the scale was assessed for the whole dataset according to ordinal alpha, whilst four-week reliability was measured according to the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Measurement invariance as a function of sex was also examined, and discriminant-convergent validity of the GSSS was examined through hypothesis testing. Results: EFA revealed a two-factor structure with a moderate percentage of explained variance (51.3%), whilst CFA exhibited an excellent fit of the data to the model. A one-factor CFA model demonstrated an acceptable but slightly lower fit. Internal consistency was moderate and test-retest reliability was deemed adequate. Metric invariance was demonstrated as a function of sex. Hypothesis testing demonstrated strong convergent-discriminant validity with measures of sensory sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and pain. Conclusions: The GSSS is a tool with acceptable and promising psychometric properties when administered to neurotypical adolescents and young adults. The self-report GSSS may promote better understanding of GS involvement in the gut microbiota-brain axis in the general population.

Development and validation of the Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Scale in Spanish children and adolescents.

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are characterized by chronic or recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms (GS) that are not explained by structural or biochemical abnormalities. FGIDs are related to lower quality of life, increased demands on medical resources, and greater somatization and emotional instability. Furthermore, GS appears to be an indicator of dysbiosis in gut-microbiota, affecting the gut-microbiota-brain relationship. To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a new instrument called the Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Scale (GSSS) using a web-based survey in a sample of neurotypical children and adolescents from Spain. Instrument development and validation processes were applied to the GSSS following its administration as part of an online survey. The sample included 1242 neurotypical children and adolescents. The mean age of participants was 13.95 years, with a standard deviation of 1.37 years. Overall, 13.8% suffered infectious diarrhea, 12.6% suffered abdominal pain, 5% suffered dyspepsia and 2.6% suffered gastro-esophageal reflux. A single-factor model produced good fit indices. Furthermore, internal consistency and test-retest reliability outcomes were acceptable. The GSSS was found to have acceptable metric measurement invariance. Significant correlations with other instruments were produced and were of expected direction and magnitude, confirming scale validity for hypothesis testing.     Conclusions: The GSSS shows promising psychometric properties for assessing GS in neurotypical Spanish adolescents and children. What is Known: • To the best of our knowledge, instruments assessing the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms in children and adolescents are still too few. What is New: • The GSSS shows promising psychometric properties for assessing GS in neurotypical adolescents and children. The GSSS may help improve understanding of GS involvement in the gut-brain microbiota axis in children and adolescents.

Emotional Adjustment among Adolescent Students with and without Specific Learning Disabilities.

Adolescence is a psychologically vulnerable stage in which problems of emotional adjustment and psychological well-being can appear. The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship and comparison of emotional deficits and resources among adolescents with or without specific learning disabilities. We evaluated 80 students distributed into two groups: 40 adolescents with specific learning disabilities and 40 normative adolescents matched with the previous group in terms of age, sex, and school year. The study variables are internalising problems (anxiety and depression), externalising problems (aggression, anger control, defiant behaviour, and antisocial behaviour), and personal resources (self-esteem, social competence and integration, and awareness of problems), evaluated by means of the SENA test. The results indicate a positive relationship between externalising and internalising problems and a negative relationship between the latter and some personal resources in both groups. We also found that adolescents with specific learning disabilities displayed more internalising and externalising symptoms than their peers, greater awareness of their emotional difficulties, and lower self-esteem and social integration and competence. The findings highlight the need for preventive interventions that promote the psychological well-being and mental health of adolescents within the school setting at an early age.

One more step in the study of children's daily stress: The spillover effect as the transfer of tension in family and school environments.

Introduction: The spillover effect is the psychological overflow due to daily stress in one context and the transfer of its consequences to another close environment. The aim is to explore the spillover effect in conflicts within the family, on the one hand, and school with peers on the other hand, as an inferred measure of daily stress according to the literature. Method: The study consisted of a sample of 208 6-year-old students and their families. A methodology based on daily report records was used, by means of two ad hoc checklists with simultaneous measurements, for 2 consecutive weeks and 3 academic years, for both family and school contexts. A repeated measures design, together with a nonparametric statistical data analysis with Friedman's test and contrast measures, was used. Results: Daily stress shows significant differences in the family setting throughout the week (χ 2 = 32.44; p = 0.000) and at different times of the day (χ 2 = 29.65; p = 0.000). In the school setting, differences were found across the different days of the week (χ 2 = 36.96; p = 0.000). Spillover effect has been discovered between conflicts at home in the evening and conflicts at school. At the same time, conflicts at school are related to conflicts at home from Wednesday onward. Discussion: The results suggest further research on daily stress through the interrelation of the different contexts, as well as the impact that moments of conflict may have on the psychological and emotional development of the child.

El Cuestionario de Indicadores de Riesgo de los Trastornos de Espectro Autista durante el Primer Año de Vida (CIRTEA) para la detección precoz / The Risk Indicators Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Disorders during the First Year of Life (CIRTEA) for early detection

El Cuestionario de Indicadores de Riesgo de los Trastornos de Espectro Autista durante el Primer Año de Vida (CIRTEA) es un instrumento descreening diseñado como una escala de desarrollo prospectiva que usa como referencia los parámetros de desarrollo típicos del menor sin alteraciones para identificar aspectos evolutivos que pudieran están relacionados con el TEA a la edad de 12 meses. El cuestionario fue puesto a pruebaen 955 bebés de 0 a 12 meses (529 niños y 426 niñas) de la provincia de Málaga. La fiabilidad test-retest y la validez externa del cuestionario fueexplorada en una muestra clínica formada por 64 bebés (41 niños, 23 niñas). La versión final está formada por 23 ítems dicotómicos organizadospor trimestres y por áreas de desarrollo referentes a lo sensorial, social y de la comunicación. Se presentan análisis descriptivos de los ítems, asícomo evidencias de su validez de contenido a través de la validación interjueces por medio del Coeficiente V de Aiken e Intervalo de Confianza y lavalidez externa a través de la correlación con el MCHAT/ES a los 12 meses (-.88) y a los 15 meses (-.89). El instrumento es sensible para captar laausencia de conductas normotípicas y de ponerlas en relación con las conductas compatibles con el Trastorno del Espectro del Autismo, mostrando un alto poder predictivo discriminando a los bebés con desarrollo típico y los casos con sospecha de TEA a una temprana edad de 12 meses. (AU)

The Risk Indicators Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Disorders during the First Year of Life (CIRTEA) for early detection. CIRTEA is a screeninginstrument designed as a developmental scale that uses the typical developmental parameters of the child without alterations as a reference to identify aspects of development that may be related to ASD. The questionnaire was tested in 955 babies from 0 to 12 months (529 boys and 426 girls)in the province of Malaga. The test-retest reliability and external validity of the questionnaire was explored in a clinical sample consisting of 64 infants(41 boys, 23 girls). The definitive version is made up of 23 dichotomous items organized by quarters and by development areas, referring to theperceptual, social and language aspects. Descriptive analyses of the items are presented, as well as evidence of their content validity through interjudgment validation by means of the Aiken V Coefficient and Confidence Interval and the external validity through the correlation with the MCHAT/ES at 12 months (-.88) and at 15 months (-.89). The instrument is sensitive in capturing the absence of normotypic behaviors and relating them tobehaviors compatible with autism spectrum disorder, showing high predictive power for discriminating babies with typical development and caseswith suspected ASD at an early age of 12 months. (AU)

Propiedades psicométricas de un cuestionario para la evaluación de la violencia cotidiana entre iguales en el contexto escolar / Psychometric properties of a questionnaire to assess daily peer violence in schools

La problemática de la violencia entre iguales en la escuela conlleva efectos negativos en el alumnado, profesorado y agentes educativos de los centros en los que se presenta. Su detección temprana es de vital importancia para poder diseñar intervenciones y combatir sus consecuencias. De aquí la importancia de diseñar un nuevo cuestionario para evaluar la violencia entre iguales de bajo o moderado impacto. El Cuestionario de Violencia Escolar Cotidiana (CUVECO) se ha construido a partir del California School Climate and Safety Survey, y se ha aplicado a una muestra de 954 estudiantes de secundaria. El CUVECO presenta una estructura factorial estable de dos factores: experiencia personal de sufrir violencia y violencia observada en el centro. El estudio de su fiabilidad y validez arroja resultados satisfactorios. Se presenta además un análisis de diferencias por sexo y curso, observándose en el factor de experiencia de sufrir violencia puntuaciones más elevadas en los chicos y en los niveles más bajos de la educación secundaria. En el factor de violencia observada no se aprecian diferencias significativas según sexo y curso. Finalmente, se defiende la utilidad de este nuevo instrumento para la evaluación de la violencia cotidiana entre iguales, para su detección o para el análisis de intervenciones psicoeducativas (AU)

Problems with peer violence in schools have consequences on the whole education. Its early detection is vitally important in order to design educational programmes and prevent or reduce the negative consequence of violence. This research team has developed a new questionnaire to assess peer violence of both low and moderate intensity. The Daily School Violence Questionnaire (Cuestionario Violencia Escolar Cotidiana, CUVECO) has been created using the California and Safety School Climate Survey as a base, and has been applied to a sample of 954 students in secondary education. The CUVECO shows a stable factorial structure of two variables: experience of suffering violence, and violence observed at school. Reliability and validity analysis reveal satisfactory results. A sex and grade difference analysis is also presented. A higher score for violence suffered was found in boys and in the lower levels of secondary education. Significant differences were not found in the observe violence variable neither sex nor grade. Finally, we discuss the usefulness of this new instrument for the screening assessment of daily peer violence in schools, specifically for their detection and validation of psychoeducational programmes (AU)