The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) has been validated across various settings and health conditions. However, few studies have evaluated the 12-item WHODAS 2.0 within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) among individuals with mental health conditions.

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the 12-item WHODAS 2.0 in populations with depression, anxiety and psychosis from seven LMICs.

Secondary analyses were carried out using existing longitudinal data-sets in adult populations with depression, anxiety and psychosis across Brazil, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Peru and South Africa. Reliability, validity and responsiveness to change of the 12-item WHODAS 2.0 were examined.

The 12-item WHODAS-2.0 was acceptably one-dimensional for all data-sets at baseline, with model-fit indices ranging from moderate to excellent. Internal consistency of the measure was found to be high across settings (Cronbach’s α = 0.83−0.97). Weak to moderate correlations with measures of symptom severity were found across all countries, except India. Moderate to strong correlations were observed with measures of functioning/quality of life across all countries, except Nigeria and Ghana.

Internal responsiveness to change was large in five out of seven studies, except both Ethiopian studies. However, external responsiveness to change exhibited variability, with weak to moderate correlations between change in WHODAS 2.0 and symptom scores across all countries.

The 12-item WHODAS 2.0 generally showed acceptable psychometric properties across different settings and mental health conditions. However, high variability was observed in convergent validity and external responsiveness to change, which warrants further investigation.

Gender dysphoria is linked to various psychosocial challenges in adolescence, underscoring the need to identify and support youth experiencing gender-related distress. Although gender identity exists on a spectrum beyond the binary, no validated tool currently exists in Turkey that uses inclusive, gender-neutral language to assess it in adolescents.

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish adaptation of the Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale–Gender Spectrum (UGDS-GS) among clinical- and community-based adolescents.

A total of 240 participants aged 12–23 years were included. The validity of UGDS-GS was assessed through content validity and confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was measured using Cronbachʼs alpha and test–retest intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). A sociodemographic data form, UGDS, UGDS-GS, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Youth Self-Report (YSR) were utilised.

Findings demonstrated strong content validity, with a content validity Index of 0.69, and robust construct validity, indicated by a comparative fit index of 0.993 and a root-mean-square error of approximation of 0.071 following the exclusion of three items. UGDS-GS effectively differentiated scores across demographic groups, showing significant variances based on assigned gender and age. The scale also exhibited excellent criterion validity, evidenced by an area under the curve of 0.947 in receiver operating characteristic analysis, with high sensitivity (80%) and specificity (95.9%) at an optimal cut-off value of 42.50. With a Cronbachʼs alpha of 0.935, UGDS-GS demonstrated strong internal consistency and substantial test–receiver operating characteristic retest reliability (ICC 0.884), alongside notable but weak correlations with several RSES subscales and low to moderate correlations with YSR scores.

These results affirm that tUGDS-GS is valuable and reliable in assessing gender dysphoria in Turkish adolescents. Further research is warranted to improve applicability in diverse contexts and populations.

Individuals admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to cancer frequently encounter cognitive impairment and alterations in their mental health, which engenders psychological distress and considerably impacts their quality of life. In Mexico, there is an imperative for valid and reliable clinical tools to identify these symptoms, to providing timely and appropriate psychological intervention.

To determine the psychometric properties of the Intensive Care Psychological Assessment Tool (IPAT) in a Mexican population with cancer discharged from ICU.

A cross-sectional instrumental design with non-probability convenience sampling was employed. Data were collected between February 2023 and October 2024 with 75 people discharged from the ICU. Factor structure (confirmatory factor analysis), reliability (internal consistency), measurement invariance, and criteria validity (convergent, discriminant, and known-groups) were assessed. Patients were assessed during oncological hospitalization, following ICU.

The participants were predominantly male, residing in the interior of the country, with an average age of 44 years (range 19–78, SD 16.21). Internal consistency results were deemed to be satisfactory (α = 0.78) for 9 items. The CFA indices were adequate [χ2 (gl) 27.436 (24), CMIN/DF 1.143, CFI 0.96, GFI 0.97, SRMR 0.036, RMSEA 0.044] as were the scalar invariance indices for invasive mechanical ventilation [CFI = 0.871; RMSEA = 0.058; χ2/gl = 20.519 (10)] and for gender, restricted invariance indices [CFI = 0.849; RMSEA = 0.068; χ2/gl = 23.302 (12)].

The Mexican version of the IPAT for people with cancer is a valid and reliable tool for use in oncology and critical care settings in Mexico. It is recommended for use at the time of discharge from the ICU, as it allows the identification of psychological distress for timely intervention. For future considerations, diverse clinical settings and patient populations should be explored to enhance the tool’s applicability and generalizability in the varied contexts of cancer in ICU.

Millions of people witnessing early, repeated media coverage of wars are at heightened risk of developing mental health conditions. However, most literature available on the field is based on measures with unverified psychometric qualities. This study aimed to design and validate a new self-report scale to measure the extent of exposure to media content related to war, the War-related Media Exposure Scale (WarMES).

A cross-sectional study based on 2635 community adults (73.1% females, mean age of 23.98 ± 7.55 years) from 5 countries (Tunisia, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Oman). To verify the factor structure, we carried out an Exploratory Factor Analysis in a first subsample (N = 859) then a Confirmatory Factor Analysis on the remaining subsample (N = 1777) using SPSS AMOS.

Based on an initial pool of 18 items, results showed that a 9-item one-factor model fits the data well. Support for internal consistency was provided by a Cronbach’s α = 0.96. The factor structure was equivalent across sex and country groups. Evidence for concurrent validity was provided by demonstrating that WarMES scores positively correlated with stress and depression.

Findings suggest that the WarMES is valid, reliable and allows to accurately measure the amount of time spent viewing war-content on media.

People with intellectual disability often face barriers accessing mainstream psychological services due to a lack of reasonable adjustments, including the absence of adapted versions of routine outcome measures. Adapted versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) have been created for adults with ID.

This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the adapted PHQ-9 and GAD-7.

The adapted PHQ-9 and GAD-7 and the Glasgow Depression and Anxiety Scales (GDS-ID, GAS-ID) were administered to 47 adults (n=21 clinical group; n=26 community group) with ID. Cross-sectional design and between-group analyses tested for discriminant validity. Concurrent and divergent validity was tested using correlational designs. Reliability was investigated by internal consistency and test–retest analysis.

The clinical group scored significantly higher on the adapted PHQ-9 (t45=–2.28, p=.03, 95% CI [–7.09, –.45]) and GAD-7 (t45=–3.52, p=.001, 95% CI [–7.44, –2.02]) than the community group, evidencing discriminant validity. The adapted PHQ-9 correlated with the GDS-ID (r47=.86, p<.001) and the adapted GAD-7 correlated with the GAS-ID (r46=.77, p<.001). The adapted PHQ-9 (Cronbach’s α=.84, ICC=.91) and GAD-7 (Cronbach’s α=.86, ICC=.77) had good internal consistency and test–retest reliability.

Preliminary research suggests the adapted PHQ-9 and GAD-7 are valid and reliable measures. They could provide a reasonable adjustment for the minimum dataset used in NHS Talking Therapies and can be easily administered in routine clinical practice. Further work to establish additional psychometric properties is now required.

Supporting family caregivers (FCs) is a critical core function of palliative care. Brief, reliable tools suitable for busy clinical work in Taiwan are needed to assess bereavement risk factors accurately. The aim is to develop and evaluate a brief bereavement scale completed by FCs and applicable to medical staff.

This study adopted convenience sampling. Participants were approached through an intentional sampling of patients’ FCs at 1 palliative care center in Taiwan. This cross-sectional study referred to 4 theories to generate the initial version of the Hospice Foundation of Taiwan Bereavement Assessment Scale (HFT-BAS). A 9-item questionnaire was initially developed by 12 palliative care experts through Delphi and verified by content validity. A combination of exploratory factor analysis (EFA), reliability measures including items analysis, Cronbach’s alpha and inter-subscale correlations, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to test its psychometric properties.

Two hundred seventy-eight participants conducted the questionnaire. Three dimensions were subsequently extracted by EFA: “Intimate relationship,” “Existential meaning,” and “Disorganization.” The Cronbach’s alpha of the HFT-BAS scale was 0.70, while the 3 dimensions were all significantly correlated with total scores. CFA was the measurement model: chi-squared/degrees of freedom ratio = 1.9, Goodness of Fit Index = 0.93, Comparative Fit Index = 0.92, root mean square error of approximation = 0.08. CFA confirmed the scale’s construct validity with a good model fit.

This study developed an HFT-BAS and assessed its psychometric properties. The scale can evaluate the bereavement risk factors of FCs in clinical palliative care.

Pain is a frequent symptom in cancer patients (CP), and its multidimensional assessment is essential for a comprehensive approach and to establish clinical prognoses. The Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) is an internationally recognized tool for the multidimensional assessment of pain, both in clinical and research settings. However, no studies have been reported in Latin America that determine its psychometric properties in CP and chronic pain.

To determine the psychometric properties of the SF-MPQ in adult Mexican cancer patients with chronic pain.

An instrumental design was used with a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 222 cancer patients treated at the pain clinic of a tertiary care hospital. Analyses were conducted to evaluate factorial structure (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis [CFA]), reliability (internal consistency), measurement invariance, and criterion validity (concurrent and divergent).

CFA verified a 9-item structure divided into 2 factors: (1) Affective-Nociceptive and (2) Neuropathic. A global Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of .82 and a global McDonald’s Omega index of .82 were identified. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance (ΔCFI ≤ .01; ΔRMSEA ≤ .015) were confirmed regarding the sex variable. Finally, the SF-MPQ showed a positive correlation with the Numerical Rating Scale (rho = .436, p< .01) and a negative correlation with the EORTC-QLQ C30 (rho = −.396, p< .01).

The Mexican version of the SF-MPQ presented adequate psychometric properties and fit indices, making it a valid and reliable instrument for use in clinical and research settings in Mexico. Its use is recommended for the comprehensive assessment of pain in oncology in Mexico, as it allows for the understanding of pain characteristics beyond intensity, guiding the establishment of clinical prognoses.

Stigma in lung cancer patients may be associated with various negative outcomes such as increased psychosocial symptoms, severity of physical symptoms, and may act as a barrier to medical help-seeking behavior. The Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale (CLCSS) is one of the most widely used instruments for assessing health-related stigma in lung cancer patients.

To determine the psychometric properties of the CLCSS in a Mexican sample of lung cancer patients.

A non-experimental, instrumental design was employed, using non-probabilistic sampling based on availability. The sample included 265 lung cancer patients. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to assess construct validity, and Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega were used for internal consistency and test-retest reliability, respectively, through Pearson correlation coefficient.

The 17-item version yielded a model with 4 factors (stigma and shame, social isolation, discrimination, and smoking) explaining 50.74% of the variance, with adequate values of internal consistency and test-retest reliability.

The Mexican version of the CLCSS is culturally appropriate, brief, psychometrically valid, and reliable for assessing health-related stigma in Mexican lung cancer patients.

Despite the growing interest in the prevalence and consequences of loneliness, the way it is measured still raises a number of questions. In particular, few studies have directly compared the psychometric properties of very short measures of loneliness to standard measures.

We conducted a large epidemiological study of midwife students (n = 1742) and performed a head-to-head comparison of the psychometric properties of the standard (20 items) and short version (3 items) of the UCLA Loneliness Scales (UCLA-LS). All participants completed the UCLA-LS-20, UCLA-LS-3, as well as other measures of mental health, including anxiety and depression.

First, as predicted, we found that the two loneliness scales were strongly associated with each other. Second, when using the dimensional scores of the scales, we showed that the internal reliability, convergent-, discriminant-, and known-groups validities were high and of similar magnitude between the UCLA-LS-20 and the UCLA-LS-3. Third, when the scales were dichotomized, the results were more mixed. The sensitivity and/or specificity of the UCLA-LS-3 against the UCLA-LS-20 were systematically below acceptable thresholds, regardless of the dichotomizing process used. In addition, the prevalence of loneliness was strikingly variable as a function of the cut-offs used.

Overall, we showed that the UCLA-LS-3 provided an adequate dimensional measure of loneliness that is very similar to the UCLA-LS-20. On the other hand, we were able to highlight more marked differences between the scales when their scores were dichotomized, which has important consequences for studies estimating, for example, the prevalence of loneliness.

Developmental care for newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) improves cardiac and respiratory patterns. According to the American Heart Association, developmental care in newborns with CHD is important for improving neurodevelopmental outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Developmental Care Scale for Neonates with Congenital Heart Disease.

This was a methodological, descriptive study conducted with 169 nurses from a tertiary-level NICU. The Demographical Information Form and the Developmental Care Scale for Neonates with Congenital Heart Disease were used to collect the data. The scales’ language and content validity, construct validity, and internal consistency were also assessed.

The scale consists of 31 items and four subscales. Factor loadings ranged from 0.44 to 0.82 and explained 65% of the total variance. Fit indices indicate that the model is acceptable. Cronbach’s α was 0.95 for the entire instrument, 0.91 for developing the external environment subscale, 0.94 for assessing family well-being, 0.86 for the caregiver activities toward the neonate, and 0.82 for the basic need subscale. Item–total correlations ranged between 0.34 and 0.75, according to the item analysis results.

The Turkish version of the Developmental Care Scale for Neonates with Congenital Heart Disease is valid and reliable. The use of this scale could improve the performance of neonatal intensive care nurses in providing developmental care to newborns with CHD as well as the quality of care.

Accurately assessing the self-efficacy levels of palliative care professionals’ is crucial, as low levels of self-efficacy may contribute to the suboptimal provision of palliative care. However, there is currently lacking a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating the self-efficacy of palliative care practitioners in China. Therefore, this study aimed to translate, adapt, and validate the Palliative Care Self-Efficacy Scale (PCSS) among Chinese palliative care professionals.

This study involved the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the PCSS, and the evaluation of its psychometric properties through testing for homogeneity, content validity, construct validity, known-groups validity, and reliability.

A total of 493 palliative care professionals participated in this study. The results showed the critical ratio value of each item was >3 (p < 0.01), and the corrected item-total correlation coefficients of all items ranged from 0.733 to 0.818, indicating a good homogeneity of the items with the scale. Additionally, the scale was shown to have good validity, with item-level content validity index ranged from 0.857 to 1.000, and scale-level content validity index/Ave was 0.956. The exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the 2-factor structure of the Chinese version of PCSS (C-PCSS), explaining 74.19% of the variance. CFA verified that the 2-factor model had a satisfactory model fit, with χ2/df = 2.724, RMSEA = 0.084, GFI = 0.916, CFI = 0.967, and TLI = 0.952. The known-groups validity of C-PCSS was demonstrated good with its sensitive in differentiating levels of self-efficacy between professionals with less than 1 year of palliative care experience (p < 0.001) or without palliative care training (p = 0.014) and their counterparts. Furthermore, the C-PCSS also exhibited an excellent internal consistency, with the Cronbach’s α for the total scale of 0.943.

The findings from this study affirmed good validity and reliability of the C-PCSS. It can be emerged as a valuable and reliable instrument for assessing the self-efficacy levels of palliative care professionals in China.

There is no universal tool for measuring disaster preparedness in the general population. This study aimed to provide a summary of the domains and psychometric properties of the available scales that assess preparedness for disasters, or one of its main types, among individuals or households.

This study is a systematic review of the literature on disaster preparedness tools. Studies published up to December 2022 were identified through a systematic search of four databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) were used to review and evaluate the psychometric properties. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were used to report this article.

Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria. Among them, five scales measured general disaster preparedness, five measured earthquake preparedness, one measured flood preparedness, and one measured bushfire preparedness. The scales had a number of dimensions ranging from one to six. The most common item topics in the included scales were as follows: having an evacuation plan (n = 7), information source (n = 7), fire extinguisher (n = 6), and emergency kit (n = 5). The scales were rated sufficient for content validity (n = 10), structural validity (n = 5), internal consistency (n = 5), and test-re-test reliability (n = 6). One scale was checked for criterion validity and was rated as insufficient according to the COSMIN guidelines.

The findings suggest the need to improve the psychometric properties of the scales, expand their contents, and develop scales relevant to target populations. This study provides useful information for researchers to develop comprehensive assessment tools and valuable sources of items for future scales.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected perinatal mental health. Reliable tools are needed to assess perinatal stress during pandemic situations.

To assess the psychometric properties of the Greek versions of the Pandemic-Related Pregnancy Stress Scale (PREPS) and the Pandemic-Related Postpartum Stress Scale (PREPS-PP) and to explore the associations between women's characteristics and perinatal stress during the second pandemic wave.

The PREPS and PREPS-PP were completed by 264 pregnant and 188 postpartum women, respectively, who also completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale (EPDS).

The internal consistency was similar for PREPS and PREPS-PP. It was good for preparedness stress (a = 0.77 and α = 0.71, respectively) and infection stress (α = 0.83 for both scales) but low for positive appraisal (α = 0.46 and α = 0.41, respectively). Of the pregnant women, 55.33% and 55.27%, respectively, reported scores of ≥40 on STAI-S and STAI-T, and the respective percentages for the postpartum women were 47.34% and 46.80%. In addition, 14.39% of the pregnant women and 20.74% of the postpartum women scored ≥13 on the EPDS. Higher preparedness stress on PREPS and PREPS-PP was associated with primiparity (P = 0.022 and P = 0.021, respectively) and disrupted perinatal care (P = 0.069 and P = 0.007, respectively). In postpartum women, higher infection stress was associated with chronic disease (P = 0.037), primiparity (P = 0.02) and perceived risk of infection (P = 0.065). Higher score on infection stress was associated with disrupted perinatal care in both groups (P = 0.107 and P = 0.010, respectively).

The Greek versions of PREPS and PREPS-PP are valid tools for the assessment of women at risk of perinatal stress during a health crisis.

The self-report version of the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS-SR) is a reliable and valid instrument to assess panic disorder, but is unavailable in French.

The aim of this study was to conduct a transcultural validation of the French-Canadian PDSS-SR and examine its psychometric properties.

This study is part of a pragmatic RCT of group transdiagnostic CBT for anxiety disorders, and includes 272 adults meeting DSM-5 panic disorder diagnostic criteria. At baseline, participants completed the Anxiety and Related Disorders Interview Schedule (ADIS-5), the French-Canadian PDSS-SR and self-report measures. Convergent validity was assessed with Spearman correlations, Cronbach’s α was used to analyse internal consistency, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) evaluated its factor structure. Sensitivity to change was assessed with paired sample t-tests in patients (n = 72) meeting DSM-5 criteria for panic disorder at baseline with posttreatment data.

108 patients met DSM-5 criteria for panic disorder, including 58 with agoraphobia. The majority were women (85.3%) and mean age was 37.1 (SD = 12.4). Internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) was 0.91. For convergent validity, the highest correlation was with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (r = 0.64). CFA suggested a two-factor model. Optimal threshold for probable diagnosis was 10. Analyses support sensitivity to change when comparing transdiagnostic group CBT and control conditions.

With its good psychometric properties in primary care patients, the French-Canadian self-report version of the Panic Disorder Severity Scale is an efficient and practical instrument for both clinicians and researchers working in the field of mental health.

No significant relationships.

Assessment of the psychometric characteristics of the Greek version of the brief World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF) in patients with advanced cancer and pain, and exploration of the association between psychological distress and quality of life (QoL).

The sample consisted of 145 patients with advanced cancer and pain who completed the WHOQOL-BREF, the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), and the Pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). In analysis, the following methods were used: Cronbach's alpha, Item Response Theory (IRT), polychoric, Pearson and polyserial correlation, t-test, and Linear regression.

The internal consistency was high for all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF (Cronbach's α ≥ 0.731). Similarly, with the exception of three items, the WHOQOL-BREF items has large discrimination parameters suggesting that they have a high ability in differentiating subjects. On SCL-90, the three dimensions with the highest scores were Depression, Somatization, and Anxiety. The overall score for psychological distress, the Global Severity Index (GSI), showed significant negative association with all the WHOQOL-BREF factor scores (Physical Health: B = −1.488, p < 0.001, Psychological Health: B = −1.688, p < 0.001, Social Relationships: B = −0.910, p < 0.001, Environment: B = −1.064, p < 0.001). Male gender was associated with lower scores for Social Relationships (B = −0.358, p = 0.007) and Environment (B = −0.293, p = 0.026).

The Greek version of the WHOQOL-BREF showed good psychometric properties in patients with advanced cancer and can be used as a reliable instrument in clinical practice. The level of psychological distress can be considered a determinant of QoL in patients with advanced cancer and pain, independently of pain intensity or other clinical characteristics. In cancer, the disease process can activate multiple physiological and psychological mechanisms that lead to a wide range of symptoms of psychological distress. To improve their QoL, psychological intervention focused on the identification and alleviation of psychological distress in patients with advanced cancer, and help in finding meaning in their experience, should be provided.

There is no widely-recommended standardized and valid measurement tool for evaluating the disaster preparedness of nurses. This study aims to assess the psychometric properties of scales developed or adapted to evaluate the sudden-impact natural disaster preparedness of nurses.

This study is a systematic literature review for the psychometric properties of disaster preparedness tools. Studies published from 2010 through June 2021 were identified from a systematic search of five databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and ProQuest. The Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist was used for the systematic review and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline for reporting. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) report on the Development of a Disaster Preparedness Tool Kit for Nursing and Midwifery was used to evaluate scale contents.

Six articles were identified that met the inclusion criteria. The scales generally had a multi-dimensional structure and used Likert scoring with internal consistency coefficients ranging from 0.785 to 0.97. All scales were rated sufficient in content validity, structural validity, and cross-cultural validity. One scale was rated sufficient in criterion validity while the others were rated indeterminate. One scale was rated insufficient in reliability and internal consistency while the others were rated sufficient.

The findings suggest improving the psychometric properties of scales of nurses’ disaster preparedness according to COSMIN, expanding their content scope, and developing new scales. The study will provide beneficial data to users and researchers regarding the need for a comprehensive assessment tool in determining the disaster preparedness of nurses.