Spanish version of the Metacognition Self-Assessment Scale (MSAS) for adults / Versión al español de la Metacognition Self-Assessment Scale (MSAS) para adultos

Antecedentes: Aunque existen otras herramientas en español para evaluar la metacognición, no hay una versión disponible desde una pers-pectiva multidimensional como la Escala de Autoevaluación de la Metacognición(Metacognition Self-Assessment Scale, MSAS), que tiene además la ventaja de ser sencilla y rápidaen su aplicación. Objetivos:Adaptar y validar la escala MSAS al español. Método: Participaron975 voluntarios/as, 68.2% mujeres, edad media de 27.9 años (DT= 12.68). Resultados: Los valores psicométricos de la adaptación al español son adecuados, α = .830 (total), y entre α = .658 y .826 (factores). La estructura factorial original de cuatro factores (Autorreflexividad, Distancia Crítica, Maestría y Comprensión de Mentes Ajenas) muestra adecuados índices de ajuste. Sin embargo, los indicios de validez de criterio no han sido los esperados. Los indicadores de validez discriminante fueron bajos en los participantes con antecedentes psicopato-lógicos (d = .222) y tratamiento psicológico (d = .326) en el factor Auto-rreflexividad; en el factor Dominio entre los que estaban bajo tratamiento psicológico (d = .345) y tenían prescrita medicación (d = .482), y en el factor Distancia crítica para los participantes con medicación (d = .419). Conclusión: La adaptación y validación de la MSAS en español para población general parece adecuada para evaluar la metacognición y sus subcomponen-tes, abriendo un amplio campo de aplicaciones tanto clínicas como de investigación.(AU)

Background: Although there are other tools in the Spanish language for assessing metacognition, there is no other that is as quick, simple and multidimensional as the Metacognition Self-Assessment Scale (MSAS). Objectives:Adapt and validate the MSAS to Spanish. Method:The sample consisted of 973 volunteers, 68.3% women and mean age of 27.9 years (SD= 12.68). Results:The internal consistency of the Spanish adaptation was generally adequate with a total α = .830, and from α = .658 to .826 for the factors. The original four-factor structure (Self-Reflexivity, Critical Distance, Mastery and Understanding Other Minds) showed adequate fit indices. The evidence of concurrent criterion validity indices was not as expected. Indications of discriminant validity were the low Self-Reflexivity scores of participants with a psychopathological history (d = .222) or psychological treatment (d = .326); in Mastery by those under psychological treatment (d = .345) or medication (d = .482), and in Critical distance for medication (d = .419). Conclusion:The Spanish adaptation and validation of the MSAS seems adequate for assessing metacognition and its subcomponents in the general population, opening a wide field of clinical and research applications.(UA)

Spanish validation of the Detachment and Compartmentalization Inventory (DCI) in a community and clinical sample. A new instrument for measuring dissociation.

INTRODUCTION: Dissociative symptoms are a type of phenomenon which is present in a wide variety of psychopathological disorders. It is therefore necessary to develop scales that measure this type of experience for therapy and research. Starting out from the bipartite model of dissociation, this study intended to adapt and validate the Detachment and Compartmentalization Inventory (DCI) in Spanish. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this, 308 participants (268 from the community population and 40 with psychiatric pathology) completed the DCI, the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II), the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ20) and the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). RESULTS: The results showed that the Spanish version has a two-factor structure similar to the original version and was invariant across participants. The reliability of DCI scores was adequate and acquired evidence of validity related to other instruments. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the DCI is a valid scale for detecting detachment and compartmentalization dissociative experiences, both in the clinic and research.

Childhood and adolescent trauma and dissociation: The mediating role of rumination, intrusive thoughts and negative affect.

Dissociation is a complex phenomenon which is present in a wide variety of psychiatric disorders and also in the general population. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between childhood and adolescent traumas and development of dissociative phenomena in a nonclinical population, emphasizing the potentially mediating role of rumination, intrusive thoughts and negative affect in a population with no psychiatric pathology in adulthood. The sample was comprised of 337 participants from the general population (58.8% women) with a mean age of 33.10 years (SD: 14.08). They completed the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ), the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), the White Bear Suppression Scale (WBSI), the Dissociative Experience Scale, 2d ver. Rev. (DES-II) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The results supported the starting hypotheses showing a positive correlation between childhood and adolescent trauma and dissociation, and between childhood and adolescent trauma and rumination, intrusive thoughts and negative affect, and mediation of these variables between childhood and adolescent trauma and dissociative states. The relationship between trauma in early ages and dissociation in adulthood is complex. Although the design used in this study was cross-sectional, the results are compatible with the starting hypothesis that rumination, intrusive thoughts and negative affect mediate this relationship.

Dissociation as a Mediator of Traumatic Childhood Experiences and Ideas of Reference.

Ideas of reference (IR) - self-attributions about what happens in the social environment are a frequent phenomenon present in a wide variety of people with mental health disorders as well as in the nonclinical population. The purpose of this study was to find out the relationship between traumatic childhood experiences, IR and dissociative states in the nonclinical population, emphasizing the potential mediating role of dissociation between traumatic experiences and IR. The sample was comprised of 337 participants from the general population (58.8% women) with a mean age of 33.20 years (SD = 14.08). They filled in the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ), the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II) and the Referential thinking Scale (REF). The results supported the original hypotheses and showed that the participants with higher frequency of IR reported more childhood traumatic (χ2 (2) = 64.33, p < .001, f = .39, 1- ß = .99) and dissociative experiences (χ2 (2) = 50,414, p < .001, f = .38, 1- ß = .99), and that dissociative states (ß = .12, p < .05; 95%CI [.07, .19]; c´ = .26, p < .001), specifically absorption (ß = .09, p < .05; 95% CI [.03, .15]; c´ = .26, p < .001), mediated between traumatic childhood experiences and referential thinking. It was concluded that the relationship between traumatic experiences and IR is complex and may be mediated by variables such as dissociation.

The first session is the one that counts: An exploratory study of therapeutic alliance.

Background: The controversy about whether psychotherapy outcome is the consequence of the techniques themselves, common factors or both is still current. The importance of common factors has been demonstrated, although it is also known that they alone are insufficient. At the present time, the contextual model grants heavy weight to the therapeutic alliance in the first sessions and seems to predict positive final results. Furthermore, monitoring sessions has demonstrated that this alliance improves. Objectives: To analyze the relationship between the therapeutic alliance and patient's perceived improvement during the first five sessions of therapy, and find out whether the therapeutic alliance is maintained or unstable within that timeframe. Methods: Thirty-four patients at a university psychological care service who had had at least five therapy sessions participated. Of these, 70.46% were women (Mage = 24.24, SD = 6.73). The patients filled out the Outcome Rating Scale and Session Rating Scale the week before each session. Data were analyzed by the Dual STATIS method. Results: The compromise matrix explained 77.36% of the variability. The position of the vectors and the distribution of the position of the patients on the graph show that as their perception increased, therapeutic alliance remained stable. Moreover, the position of the vectors shows that the therapeutic alliance was forged in the first session and remained stable during the following sessions. Conclusion: This exploratory study demonstrated the importance of the first session in establishing the therapeutic alliance, and for it to remain stable, regardless of whether the rest of the therapeutic process has variations or changes. Novel use of the STATIS method for analyzing measurements in the first five sessions, showed that beginning the therapeutic intervention with a strong alliance, produced the favorable, lasting effects necessary for development of the intervention.

Hallucinations and Delusions as Low-Quality Attributions: Influencing Factors and Proposal for Their Analysis.

Hallucinations and delusions, in keeping with the distress accompanying them, are major features in the diagnosis of psychosis in international classifications. In spite of their human and clinical importance, the concepts are unclear. The distinction between hallucinations and delusions in terms of perception-thought is not precise enough, causing problems in analyzing the patient's words. Nor are the differentiations or variations within each precise enough. Continuing the long clinical tradition discussing the distinction between hallucinations and delusions while assuming their similarities, this study poses a concept integrating the two phenomena as attributions people make about themselves and their settings. Then the elements of any attribution can be used as guides for structuring significant literature on both, and reduce analytical ambiguity. Such attributions make more sense within the structure of two-way relationships with factors in a person's own framework and setting. This structure is described with its variables and relationships as a guide to assessment, follow-up, and intervention. Two checklists are provided for orientation.

[Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments for Adults: A Selective Review]

Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments for Adults: A Selective Review. BACKGROUND: Psychological treatments have shown their efficacy, effectiveness, and efficiency in dealing with mental disorders. However, considering the scientific knowledge generated in recent years, in the Spanish context, there are no updating studies about empirically supported psychological treatments. The main goal was to carry out a selective review of the main empirically supported psychological treatments for mental disorders in adults. METHOD: Levels of evidence and degrees of recommendation were collected based on the criteria proposed by the Spanish National Health System (Clinical Practice Guidelines) for different psychological disorders. RESULTS: The results indicate that psychological treatments have empirical support for the approach to a wide range of psychological disorders. These levels of empirical evidence gathered range from low to high depending on the psychological disorder analysed. The review indicates the existence of certain fields of intervention that need further investigation. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this selective review, psychology professionals will be able to have rigorous, up-to-date information that allows them to make informed decisions when implementing empirically based psychotherapeutic procedures based on the characteristics of the people who require help.

Schizotypy: The Way Ahead.

BACKGROUND: Empirical evidence suggests that schizotypy is a useful construct for analyzing and understanding psychotic disorders. However, several issues remain to be resolved. METHOD: This selective, critical review, addresses some questions and limitations, and discusses future directions of work. RESULTS: First, we present a conceptual outline and discuss the evidence from translational and interdisciplinary studies on schizotypy. Next, we examine and discuss newer analytical and methodological approaches, including network and machine learning approaches. We also discuss newer psychometric identification approaches, such as those using biobehavioral and ambulatory assessment. Next, we review recent cross-cultural studies in schizotypy research. Finally, we identify new challenges and directions and draw conclusions. CONCLUSIONS: This selective, critical review suggests that new methods can contribute to the construction of a solid scientific model of schizotypy as a risk construct.

The dark side of Instagram: Predictor model of dysmorphic concerns / El lado oscuro de Instagram: modelo predictor de las preocupaciones dismórficas

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Dysmorphic concern are excessive preoccupation about one or several physical characteristics perceived as defects, usually unnoticeable by others. This study was intended to explore the relationship between Instagram use and dysmorphic concerns through appearance-related comparisons, ideas of reference and problems with emotion regulation, and find out whether this relationship is moderated by gender. METHOD: The sample was comprised of 796 participants (Mage = 22.49; SD = 3.56; 54% women). RESULTS: The results showed a non-significant direct effect between Instagram use and dysmorphic concerns. However, the relationship between these variables was statistically significant through appearance-related comparisons, ideas of reference about "laughing, commenting" and difficulties in emotion regulation. Gender did not moderate any relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Men and women who made the most use of Instagram were equally vulnerable to dysmorphic concerns when they tended to compare their appearance with other users, had problems regulating their emotions, and showed interpretative biases related to the belief that others could make comments about them or laugh at them because of their imperfections. The implications of the study are discussed

ANTECEDENTES/OBJETIVO: Las preocupaciones dismórficas hacen referencia a una preocupación excesiva por una o varias características físicas percibidas como defectos que normalmente no son observables por otras personas. El presente trabajo pretende explorar la relación entre el uso de Instagram y las preocupaciones dismórficas a través de la comparación de la apariencia, las ideas de referencia y las dificultades en la regulación emocional, así como analizar si esta relación está moderada por el género. MÉTODO: Participaron 796 sujetos (Medad = 22,49; DT = 3,56; 54% mujeres). RESULTADOS: Los resultados mostraron un efecto directo no significativo entre el uso de Instagram y las preocupaciones dismórficas. La relación entre estas variables fue estadísticamente significativa a través de la comparación de la apariencia, ideas de referencia sobre "risas y comentarios" y las dificultades en la regulación emocional. El género no moderó ninguna relación. CONCLUSIONES: Hombres y mujeres que hacen un mayor uso de Instagram son igualmente vulnerables a manifestar preocupaciones dismórficas, cuando tienden a comparar su apariencia con otros usuarios, tienen dificultades para regular sus emociones, y muestran sesgos interpretativos relacionados con la creencia de que otros podrían hacer comentarios o burlarse de uno mismo por sus imperfecciones. Se discuten las implicaciones de este trabajo

Validation of a Spanish Version of the Physical Appearance Comparison Scales.

Physical appearance comparison has been widely studied because of its strong relationship with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. The main objective of this study was to validate the physical appearance comparison scales (PACS-Revised and PACS-3) in a sample of Spanish men and women and examine their psychometric properties. The sample consisted of 1151 participants (age M = 22.31, SD = 3.40). A unidimensional structure was corroborated in the PACS-R, and three factors in the PACS-3 (proximal, distal, and muscularity comparisons). The PACS-R and PACS-3 showed full scalar invariance across sex. The internal consistency for the PACS-R and subscales of PACS-3 were satisfactory. Positive statistically significant relationships were found with measures of disordered eating (EAT-26) and dysmorphic concern (DCQ). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that the PACS-3 discretely improved the prediction of disordered eating over PACS-R, but did not show improvement in the prediction of dysmorphic concern beyond the PACS-R. These findings suggest that the PACS-R and PACS-3 may be useful tools for evaluating the tendency of men and women to compare their physical appearance.

The dark side of Instagram: Predictor model of dysmorphic concerns.

Dysmorphic concern are excessive preoccupation about one or several physical characteristics perceived as defects, usually unnoticeable by others. This study was intended to explore the relationship between Instagram use and dysmorphic concerns through appearance-related comparisons, ideas of reference and problems with emotion regulation, and find out whether this relationship is moderated by gender. METHOD: The sample was comprised of 796 participants (Mage  = 22.49; SD = 3.56; 54% women). RESULTS: The results showed a non-significant direct effect between Instagram use and dysmorphic concerns. However, the relationship between these variables was statistically significant through appearance-related comparisons, ideas of reference about "laughing, commenting" and difficulties in emotion regulation. Gender did not moderate any relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Men and women who made the most use of Instagram were equally vulnerable to dysmorphic concerns when they tended to compare their appearance with other users, had problems regulating their emotions, and showed interpretative biases related to the belief that others could make comments about them or laugh at them because of their imperfections. The implications of the study are discussed.

Las preocupaciones dismórficas hacen referencia a una preocupación excesiva por una o varias características físicas percibidas como defectos que normalmente no son observables por otras personas. El presente trabajo pretende explorar la relación entre el uso de Instagram y las preocupaciones dismórficas a través de la comparación de la apariencia, las ideas de referencia y las dificultades en la regulación emocional, así como analizar si esta relación está moderada por el género. Método: Participaron 796 sujetos (Medad  = 22,49; DT = 3,56; 54% mujeres). Resultados: Los resultados mostraron un efecto directo no significativo entre el uso de Instagram y las preocupaciones dismórficas. La relación entre estas variables fue estadísticamente significativa a través de la comparación de la apariencia, ideas de referencia sobre "risas y comentarios" y las dificultades en la regulación emocional. El género no moderó ninguna relación. Conclusiones: Hombres y mujeres que hacen un mayor uso de Instagram son igualmente vulnerables a manifestar preocupaciones dismórficas, cuando tienden a comparar su apariencia con otros usuarios, tienen dificultades para regular sus emociones, y muestran sesgos interpretativos relacionados con la creencia de que otros podrían hacer comentarios o burlarse de uno mismo por sus imperfecciones. Se discuten las implicaciones de este trabajo.

Interpersonal Violence and Psychotic-Like Experiences: The Mediation of Ideas of Reference, Childhood Memories, and Dissociation.

Previous studies have demonstrated the relationship between the accumulation of situations involving interpersonal violence (IV) and psychotic-like experiences. This study explored whether IV is related to aberrant salience (AS), using a sequential mediation model that included memories of relationship with parents (submission, devaluation, and threat; Early Life Experiences Scale (ELES)), ideas of reference (IR), and dissociative symptoms (absorption and depersonalization), and whether the patient/nonpatient condition moderated this effect. The sample was made of 401 participants (including 43 patients with psychotic disorders) aged 18 to 71 years (Mage = 30.43; SD = 11.19). Analysis of a serial multiple mediator model revealed that IR, ELES, absorption, and depersonalization fully mediated the effect of IV on AS, explaining 39% of the variance, regardless of the patient/nonpatient condition. The indirect paths, which place IR and dissociation (especially absorption, the variable to which the IR and ELES lead) in a primordial position for being related to AS, are discussed. This continuum model could be useful for understanding processes related to the onset of psychosis unmoderated by the patient/nonpatient condition.

Inflexibility of beliefs and jumping to conclusions in active schizophrenia.

Jumping to conclusions (JTC) has been questioned as sufficient cognitive bias for the onset, maintenance, and severity of delusions compared to the bias of inflexibility of beliefs. The WIT (What is this?) test was designed to evaluate JTC and its capacity for classifying participants into a group of patients with active schizophrenia and a comparison group. It was also attempted to determine whether the presence/absence of answer choices, considered a measure of induced inflexibility of beliefs, influences decision-making and is related to the tendency to repeat the first decision, or spontaneous inflexibility of beliefs. The sample was made up of 160 participants, 80 patients with schizophrenia diagnosed at hospital admission and 80 healthy controls. The Beads Task and the WIT test were administered. The WIT classified the participants reasonably well (82.7%) compared to the Beads Task (86.3%). The presence of answer choices favored JTC (d = 0.33), decreasing the number of lines necessary to make a decision (d = 1.78), and influencing keeping to the original answer (d = 1.36), in interaction with the group (d = 0.42). The WIT test overcame some limitations of the Beads Task. The presence/absence of answer choices influenced decision-making and how thinking was flexibilized, more clearly in the case of controls.

The relationship with the voices as a dialogical experience: The role of self-focused attention and dissociation.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article was to study the relationship of self-focused attention and dissociation with the dialogical relationship persons diagnosed with psychosis have with their voices. METHOD: The DAIMON Scale was applied to 62 persons diagnosed with psychosis to measure the dialogical relationship with their voices, and the Cambridge depersonalization scale, the Tellegen absorption scale, and the self-focused attention scale. RESULTS: The results showed that the dialogical relationship with the voices was associated with high levels of self-focused attention (private and public), depersonalization, and absorption. It was also found that absorption mediated significantly between public self-focused attention and the dialogical relationship with the voices. CONCLUSIONS: The role of dissociation and self-focused attention in forming the dialogical relationship a person with psychosis has with the voices is discussed and approaches to treatment are suggested.

Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire (BIAQ).

PURPOSE: The main objective of this study was to analyse the factor structure and psychometric properties of a Spanish validation of the Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire (BIAQ) in a community sample of adolescents. METHODS: A total of 4283 people (55.9% girls, aged 12-18) participated. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis corroborated four first-order factors related to a second-order factor including the total BIAQ score, with excellent fit and invariance across sex. The total internal consistency of the questionnaire was adequate, although two factors showed low reliability. Strong relationships were found with scales evaluating preoccupation with weight and dysmorphic concerns, and moderate correlations with dissatisfaction and investment in appearance. It was found that 24.06% of adolescents with body image disturbance could be at risk of developing a body image disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support the use of the Spanish translation of the BIAQ for assessing behavioural characteristic of body image disturbance. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Dysmorphic concern and behavioural impairment related to body image in adolescents.

This study examined a moderated mediation model testing whether dysmorphic concern is related to behaviour altered to change appearance. This relationship is potentially mediated by depressive symptomatology (dysphoria and self-esteem) and ideas of reference about "laughing, commenting" and "attention, appearance," and each mediated relationship moderated by sex. The sample was made up of 3377 adolescents from 12 to 18 years old (Mage  = 14.52; SD = 1.65, 56.5% girls). The results showed that dysphoria and ideas of reference about "laughing, commenting" and "attention, appearance" partially mediated the relationship between dysmorphic concern and behavioural impairment related to body image. The relationship with dysphoria was moderated by sex, such that the mediation effect was stronger in girls than in boys. This result implies that girls who are worried about some characteristic of their appearance and show dysphoria are at greater risk of altered behaviour involving avoidance or controlling their appearance than boys. In addition, a possible risk of body dysmorphic disorder (3.45% of the sample) was found, with very prominent hiding behaviour using clothing or control behaviours, such as frequent weighing and looking at oneself in the mirror too much. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Vulnerability to Psychosis, Ideas of Reference and Evaluation with an Implicit Test.

BACKGROUND: Ideas of reference (IRs) are observed in the general population on the continuum of the psychotic phenotype (as a type of psychotic-like experiences, PLE). The instruments usually used to evaluate IRs show some problems: They depend on the cooperation of the participant, comprehension of items, social desirability, etc. Aims: The Testal emotional counting Stroop (TECS) was developed for the purpose of improving evaluation of individuals vulnerable to psychosis and its relationship with ideas of reference. The TECS (two versions) was applied as an implicit evaluation instrument for IRs and related processes for early identification of persons vulnerable to psychosis and to test the possible influence of emotional symptomatology. METHOD: A total of 160 participants (67.5% women) from the general population were selected (Mean (M) = 24.12 years, standard deviation (SD) = 5.28), 48 vulnerable and 112 non-vulnerable. RESULTS: Vulnerability to psychosis was related to greater latency in response to referential stimuli. Version 4 of the TECS showed a slight advantage in identifying more latency in response to referential stimuli among participants with vulnerability to psychosis (Cohen's d = 1.08). Emotional symptomatology (especially stress), and IQ (premorbid) mediated the relationship between vulnerability and IR response latency. CONCLUSIONS: The application of the implicit Testal emotional counting Stroop test (TECS) is useful for evaluating processes related to vulnerability to psychosis, as demonstrated by the increased latency of response to referential stimuli.

Spanish validation of the self-evaluation of negative symptoms scale SNS in an adolescent population.

BACKGROUND: Negative symptoms (NS) may be observed in the general population in an attenuated form and in high-risk mental states. However, they have been less studied in the general population than positive symptoms, in spite of their importance at the insidious onset of schizophrenia and their appearance before positive symptoms. This study aimed to analyze the empirical structure of the Spanish version of the Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms (SNS) Scale and find its psychometric properties and invariance of measurement across sex and age in a sample of adolescents. METHODS: The sample consisted of 4521 adolescents (53.6% female) from 11 to 18 years of age. RESULTS: Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the SNS confirmed an internal structure of five first-order factors by the characteristic dimensions of NS: avolition, social withdrawal, diminished emotional range, anhedonia, alogia, and one second-order factor which includes the total NS score. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis showed that the scale was invariant across sex and age. Total scale reliability was adequate. A strong relationship was found between the SNS with depressive symptomatology, moderate with ideas of reference and low with aberrant salience. CONCLUSION: The results back use of the Spanish version of the SNS scale for detection of NS in the general population of adolescents.

Examining the structure of ideas of reference in clinical and community samples.

AIMS: This study addresses the psychometric properties of a Spanish validation of the REF scale of ideas of reference (IRs) in detecting and following at-risk mental states and psychosis. METHODS: A total of 9447 participants were distributed in three groups: 676 patients with various diagnoses-154 with psychotic disorders, 6291 youths aged 11 to 20, and 2480 adult participants aged 21 to 84. RESULTS: Youths had higher scores than adults on IRs, observing a progressive decrease and stabilization in the twenties. Exploratory factor analysis provided a structure for the overall IRs score, with five first-order dimensions and one second-order dimension. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the structure with excellent fit. The REF scale was invariant across sex and samples. The internal consistency of the complete scale was excellent and acceptable across the five first-order factors. Strong relationships were found with the positive dimension of the community assessment of psychic experience-42, as well as with aberrant salience. Low and moderate relationships were found with public self-consciousness, anxiety, and depression. Youths and patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders had a high mean IRs frequency. Male sex, greater age (among the adults), and the "causal explanations", "Songs, newspapers, books" and "laughing and commenting" REF subscales showed predictive power in the diagnostic categories of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide satisfactory that the REF scale could be used to study psychosis.

Spanish validation of the aberrant salience inventory in a general adolescent population / Validación española del Inventario de Saliencia Aberrante en población general adolescente

Background: Aberrant salience (AS), related to classical delusional mood and self-disturbances, may be one of the keys to early detection of psychosis, before abnormal assignment of significance. As adolescence is a critical period in development of the self and there are few instruments for evaluating AS, validation of the Aberrant Salient Inventory (ASI) is proposed for use in the general adolescent population. Methods: A sample of 4,523 participants, 53.6% women, from 11 to 18 years of age (M = 14.31, SD = 1.66), from 29 schools in Western Andalusia (Spain) were evaluated collectively. Results: Good fit was found in the answers, and the original five-factor structure of the inventory was replicated. Reliability (ordinal alpha) was adequate both for the total (.95) and for the factors (.74. to .85). Invariance across sex, adequate indicators of concurrent (ideas of reference) and divergent (negative symptoms) validity, and sensitivity of .88 were found. Conclusions: The results suggest the ASI for use in the general adolescent population, and show that 7% of the sample could be at risk of beginning psychosis

Antecedentes: la Saliencia Aberrante (SA), relacionada con el estado de ánimo delirante clásico y las perturbaciones de self, puede ser una de las claves para la detección temprana de la psicosis, antes de la asignación anormal de significados. Como la adolescencia es un período crítico en el desarrollo del yo y los instrumentos para evaluar la SA son pocos, se propone la validación del Inventario de Saliencia Aberrante (ASI) para su uso en población general adolescente. Método: participaron 4.523 sujetos, 53,6% mujeres, de 11 a 18 años de edad (M = 14.31, SD = 1.66) de 29 centros escolares de Andalucía Occidental (España). Resultados: se encontró un buen ajuste en las respuestas y se replicó la estructura original de cinco factores del inventario. La fiabilidad (alfa ordinal) fue adecuada tanto para el total (.95) como para los factores (de .74. a .85). Se halló invarianza a través del sexo, indicadores adecuados de validez concurrente (ideas de referencia) y divergente (síntomas negativos), y sensibilidad de .88. Conclusiones: se sugiere el interés del ASI para su uso en población general adolescente, y se muestra que el 7% de los participantes podrían estar en riesgo de psicosis