Item Response Theory Analysis to Assess Dimensionality of Substance Use Disorder Abuse and Dependence Symptoms

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Levent Kirisci ◽  
Ralph Tarter ◽  
Maureen Reynolds ◽  
Michael Vanyukov
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Item Response Theory ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Substance Use Disorder ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Common Factor ◽  
Latent Trait ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Response Theory ◽  
Men And Women

Background. Item response theory (IRT) based studies conducted on diverse samples showed a single dominant factor for DSM-III-R and DSM-IV substance use disorder (SUD) abuse and dependence symptoms of alcohol, cannabis, sedative, cocaine, stimulants, and opiates use disorders. IRT provides the opportunity, within a person-centered framework, to accurately gauge each person’s severity of disorder that, in turn, informs required intensiveness of treatment. Objectives. The aim of this study was to determine whether the SUD symptoms indicate a unidimensional trait or instead need to be conceptualized and quantified as a multidimensional scale. Methods. The sample was composed of families of adult SUD+ men (n=349), and SUD+ women (n=173), who qualified for DSM-III-R diagnosis of substance use disorder (abuse or dependence) and families of adult men and women who did not qualify for a SUD diagnosis (SUD- men: n=190, SUD- women: n=133). An expanded version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) was administered to characterize lifetime and current substance use disorders. Item response theory methodology was used to assess the dimensionality of DSM-III-R SUD abuse and dependence symptoms.Results. A bi-factor model provided the optimal representation of the factor structure of SUD symptoms in males and females. SUD symptoms are scalable as indicators of a single common factor, corresponding to general (non-drug-specific, common) liability to addiction, combined with drug-specific liabilities. Conclusions. IRT methodology used to quantify the continuous general liability to addiction (GLA) latent trait in individuals having SUD symptoms was found effective for accurately measuring SUD severity in men and women. This may be helpful for person-centered medicine approaches to effectively address intensity of treatment.

scholarly journals A 13-item Health of the Nation Outcome Scale (HoNOS 13): Validation by Item Response Theory (IRT) in people with Substance Use Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Chatton ◽  
Yasser Khazaal ◽  
Louise Penzenstadler
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Item Response Theory ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Substance Use Disorder ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Response Theory ◽  
Treatment Needs

Abstract BackgroundThe Health of the Nation Outcome Scale (HoNOS) is a widely used 12-item tool to assess mental health and social functioning. The French version has an added 13th item measuring adherence to psychotropic medication. The aim of the current study is to uncover the unknown pattern of item 13 and to compare the unidimensional and multi-dimensional fit of both the original HoNOS 12 and the new HoNOS 13 using Item Response Theory (IRT) modelling. This research question was studied among inpatients with substance use disorder (SUD). MethodsSix hundred and nine valid questionnaires of the HoNOS were analyzed using the multidimensional extension of the IRT graded-response modelling. For HoNOS 13, we fitted respectively a one-factor and a two-factor model. ResultsThe two-factor model suggesting a first factor capturing psychiatric/impairment-related issues and a second factor reflecting social-related issues yielded better goodness-of-fit values compared to the one-factor solution. ConclusionsWe were able to validate the 13-item questionnaire including medication compliance and suggest that the HoNOS 13 can be recommended as a clinical evaluation tool to assess the problems and treatment needs for inpatients with SUD. In IRT analyses, the items related to substance use and item 13 showed moderate discriminative abilities to catch the severity of the latent construct whereas the items related to the second factor (social problems) showed higher discriminative abilities. Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT03551301, registered: 11.06.2018.

scholarly journals Item Response Theory analyses of DSM-5 substance use disorder criteria in French outpatient addiction clinic participants. How much is craving special?

2020 ◽  
Vol 212 ◽  
pp. 108036
Author(s):  
Charlotte Kervran ◽  
Dvora Shmulewitz ◽  
Fuschia Serre ◽  
Malki Stohl ◽  
Cécile Denis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Item Response Theory ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Substance Use Disorder ◽  
Response Theory ◽  
Dsm 5

Application of item response theory to quantify substance use disorder severity

2006 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1035-1049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Levent Kirisci ◽  
Ralph E. Tarter ◽  
Michael Vanyukov ◽  
Chris Martin ◽  
Ada Mezzich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Item Response Theory ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Substance Use Disorder ◽  
Response Theory

scholarly journals Assessing the physical violence component of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales when used in heterosexual couples: an item response theory analysis

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Reichenheim ◽  
Ruben Klein ◽  
Claudia Leite Moraes
Keyword(s):  
Item Response Theory ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Latent Trait ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Heterosexual Relationships ◽  
Response Theory ◽  
Conflict Tactics Scales ◽  
Conflict Tactics ◽  
Revised Conflict Tactics Scales

Although there are psychometric evaluations of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2) when applied to heterosexual relationships, none has used item response theory (IRT). To address this gap, the present paper assesses the instrument's physical violence subscale. The CTS2 was applied to 764 women who also responded for their partners. Single dimensionality assumption was corroborated. A 2-parameter logistic IRT model was used for estimating location and discriminating power of each item. Differential item functioning and item information pattern along the violence continuum were assessed. Gender differences were detected in 3 out of 12 items. Item coverage of the latent trait spectrum indicated little information at the lower ends, while plenty in the middle and upper ranges. Still, depending on gender, some item overlaps and regions with gaps could be detected. Despite some unresolved problems, the analysis shows that the items form a theoretically coherent information set across the continuum. Provided the user is aware of possible drawbacks, using the physical violence subscale of the CTS2 in heterosexual couples is still a sensible option.

scholarly journals Item Response Theory Analysis of ADHD Symptoms in Children With and Without ADHD

Assessment ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 655-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
James J. Li ◽  
Steven P. Reise ◽  
Andrea Chronis-Tuscano ◽  
Amori Yee Mikami ◽  
Steve S. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Item Response Theory ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Latent Trait ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Adhd Symptoms ◽  
Response Theory ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Item Response Theory Analysis ◽  
Graded Response ◽  
Moderate Range

Item response theory (IRT) was separately applied to parent- and teacher-rated symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from a pooled sample of 526 six- to twelve-year-old children with and without ADHD. The dimensional structure ADHD was first examined using confirmatory factor analyses, including the bifactor model. A general ADHD factor and two group factors, representing inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive dimensions, optimally fit the data. Using the graded response model, we estimated discrimination and location parameters and information functions for all 18 symptoms of ADHD. Parent- and teacher-rated symptoms demonstrated adequate discrimination and location values, although these estimates varied substantially. For parent ratings, the test information curve peaked between −2 and +2 SD, suggesting that ADHD symptoms exhibited excellent overall reliability at measuring children in the low to moderate range of the general ADHD factor, but not in the extreme ranges. Similar results emerged for teacher ratings, in which the peak range of measurement precision was from −1.40 to 1.90 SD. Several symptoms were comparatively more informative than others; for example, is often easily distracted (“Distracted”) was the most informative parent- and teacher-rated symptom across the latent trait continuum. Clinical implications for the assessment of ADHD as well as relevant considerations for future revisions to diagnostic criteria are discussed.

scholarly journals Psychometric evaluation of an Italian custom 4-item short form of the PROMIS anxiety item bank in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: an item response theory analysis

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12100
Author(s):  
Marco Tullio Liuzza ◽  
Rocco Spagnuolo ◽  
Gabriella Antonucci ◽  
Rosa Daniela Grembiale ◽  
Cristina Cosco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Item Response Theory ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Latent Trait ◽  
Test Reliability ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Response Theory ◽  
Patient Reported

Background There has recently been growing interest in the roles of inflammation in contributing to the development of anxiety in people with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID). Patient-reported outcome measures can facilitate the assessment of physical and psychological functioning. The National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) is a set of Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) that cover physical appearance, mental health, and social health. The PROMIS has been built through an Item Response Theory approach (IRT), a model-based measurement in which trait level estimates depend on both persons’ responses and on the properties of the items that were administered. The aim of this study is to test the psychometric properties of an Italian custom four-item Short Form of the PROMIS Anxiety item bank in a cohort of outpatients with IMIDs. Methods We selected four items from the Italian standard Short Form Anxiety 8a and administered them to consecutive outpatients affected by Inflammatory Bowel disease (n = 246), rheumatological (n = 100) and dermatological (n = 43) diseases, and healthy volunteers (n = 280). Data was analyzed through an Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis in order to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian adaptation of the PROMIS anxiety short form. Results Taken together, Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Exploratory Factor analysis suggest that the unidimensionality assumption of the instrument holds. The instrument has excellent reliability from a Classical Theory of Test (CTT) standpoint (Cronbach’s α = 0.93, McDonald’s ω = 0.92). The 2PL Graded Response Model (GRM) model provided showed a better goodness of fit as compared to the 1PL GRM model, and local independence assumption appears to be met overall. We did not find signs of differential item functioning (DIF) for age and gender, but evidence for uniform (but not non-uniform) DIF was found in three out of four items for the patient vs. control group. Analysis of the test reliability curve suggested that the instrument is most reliable for higher levels of the latent trait of anxiety. The groups of patients exhibited higher levels of anxiety as compared to the control group (ps < 0.001, Bonferroni-corrected). The groups of patients were not different between themselves (p = 1, Bonferroni-corrected). T-scores based on estimated latent trait and raw scores were highly correlated (Pearson’s r = 0.98) and led to similar results. Discussion The Italian custom four-item short form from the PROMIS anxiety form 8a shows acceptable psychometric properties both from a CTT and an IRT standpoint. The Test Reliability Curve shows that this instrument is mostly informative for people with higher levels of anxiety, making it particularly suitable for clinical populations such as IMID patients.

scholarly journals Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version psychometric properties in an Item Response Theory polytomous model

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raul Corrêa Ferraz ◽  
Fernando de Jesus Moreira Junior ◽  
Fernanda de Vargas ◽  
Fernanda Xavier Hoffmeister ◽  
Gabriel José Chittó Gauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Item Response Theory ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Latent Trait ◽  
Partial Credit Model ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Response Theory ◽  
Generalized Partial Credit Model ◽  
Affective Characteristics ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist ◽  
Generalized Partial Credit

Abstract This study assessed the applicability of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version in a sample of teenagers confined in socio-educational institutions. Using an Item Response Theory approach, item properties of this instrument were reviewed using the generalized partial credit model. Eight of the original twenty items of the original instrument were discarded due to low discrimination parameters. As expected, the most discriminating items in the assessment of psychiatric traits were those which affective characteristics are more typical in the description of psychopathic traits, and their larger variability among juveniles is reflected in the checklist’s answers. Item anchoring, in turn, determined five anchor levels. Conclusions based on the results are twofold: (a) a shorter version of this measure can offer the same level of information obtained from the full instrument and (b) the measure provides more information on average latent trait levels and is inadequate for clinical use.

scholarly journals HIV/AIDS knowledge among men who have sex with men: applying the item response theory

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Regina de Freitas Magalhães Gomes ◽  
José Rodrigues Batista ◽  
Maria das Graças Braga Ceccato ◽  
Lígia Regina Franco Sansigolo Kerr ◽  
Mark Drew Crosland Guimarães
Keyword(s):  
Item Response Theory ◽  
Item Response ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Latent Trait ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Response Theory ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Aids Knowledge ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Hiv Aids

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the level of HIV/AIDS knowledge among men who have sex with men in Brazil using the latent trait model estimated by Item Response Theory. METHODS Multicenter, cross-sectional study, carried out in ten Brazilian cities between 2008 and 2009. Adult men who have sex with men were recruited (n = 3,746) through Respondent Driven Sampling. HIV/AIDS knowledge was ascertained through ten statements by face-to-face interview and latent scores were obtained through two-parameter logistic modeling (difficulty and discrimination) using Item Response Theory. Differential item functioning was used to examine each item characteristic curve by age and schooling. RESULTS Overall, the HIV/AIDS knowledge scores using Item Response Theory did not exceed 6.0 (scale 0-10), with mean and median values of 5.0 (SD = 0.9) and 5.3, respectively, with 40.7% of the sample with knowledge levels below the average. Some beliefs still exist in this population regarding the transmission of the virus by insect bites, by using public restrooms, and by sharing utensils during meals. With regard to the difficulty and discrimination parameters, eight items were located below the mean of the scale and were considered very easy, and four items presented very low discrimination parameter (< 0.34). The absence of difficult items contributed to the inaccuracy of the measurement of knowledge among those with median level and above. CONCLUSIONS Item Response Theory analysis, which focuses on the individual properties of each item, allows measures to be obtained that do not vary or depend on the questionnaire, which provides better ascertainment and accuracy of knowledge scores. Valid and reliable scales are essential for monitoring HIV/AIDS knowledge among the men who have sex with men population over time and in different geographic regions, and this psychometric model brings this advantage.

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