A self-report measure of perfectionism: A confirmatory factor analysis of the Swedish version of the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire

Background Perfectionism is often defined as the strive for achievement and high standards, but can also lead to negative consequences. In addition to affecting performance and interpersonal relationships, perfectionism can result in mental distress. A number of different self-report measures have been put forward to assess perfectionism. Specifically intended for clinical practice and research, the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire (CPQ) was developed and is presently available in English and Persian. To promote its use in additional contexts, the current study has translated and investigated the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the CPQ. Method A Confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed to examine the best fit with data, using a priori-models and a sample of treatment-seeking participants screened for eligibility to receive Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (n = 223). Results The results indicated a lack of fit with data. A two-factor structure without the two reversed items (2 and 8) exhibited the best fit, perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns, but still had poor structural validity. Correlations with self-report measures of perfectionism, depression, anxiety, dysfunctional beliefs, self-criticism, quality of life, and self-compassion were all in the expected directions. Eight-week test-retest correlation was Pearson r = .62, 95% Confidence Interval [.45, .74], using data from 72 participants in the wait-list control, and the internal consistency for the CPQ, once removing the reversely scored items, was Cronbach’s α = .72. Conclusion The CPQ can be used as a self-report measure in Swedish, but further research on its structural validity is needed.

An Investigation of Behavioural and Self-Reported Cognitive Empathy Deficits in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Adolescents With Behavioural Difficulties

Deficits in empathy have been considered hallmarks in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) but are also considered to underlie antisocial behaviour associated with individuals with callous unemotional traits (CU). Research has suggested that individuals with autism spectrum disorders show more difficulties with cognitive empathy, and that individuals diagnosed with behaviours difficulties, characterised by CU traits and antisocial behaviour, demonstrate low affective empathy. In the current manuscript we present findings of two studies. The first study describes the validation of a new stimulus set developed for the empathic accuracy task, focused on its cognitive component. The second study compares the performance of 27 adolescents with ASD, 27 age matched typically developing adolescents and 17 adolescents with behavioural difficulties on the empathic accuracy task and a self-report measure of empathy. While, no differences were observed between the three groups across the empathy accuracy task, the adolescents with ASD and CD showed deficits in their cognitive empathy across the self-report measure. Adolescents with ASD showed lower scores in particularly their perspective taking abilities, whereas the adolescences with behavioural difficulties showed more difficulties with their online simulation. No differences in self-reported affective empathy across the three groups were observed. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Description of the Process to Validate the Mexican Nurse Informatics Competency Self-Assessment Scale

Nurses need to have sufficient competencies in nursing informatics to be able to provide safe and efficient care. The Self-Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies Scale (SANICS) has been developed and validated as a self-report measure of informatics competencies in Western settings. In this work, we describe the ongoing study that aims to validate and translate SANICS into the Mexican setting.

Development and Validation of the Certainty About Mental States Questionnaire (CAMSQ): A Self-Report Measure of Mentalizing Oneself and Others

The Certainty About Mental States Questionnaire (CAMSQ) is a self-report measure of the perceived capacity to understand mental states of the self and others (i.e., mentalizing). In two studies (total N = 1828), we developed the CAMSQ in both English and German as a two-dimensional measure of Self- and Other-Certainty, investigated associations with other measures of mentalizing, and explored relationships to personality functioning and mental health. The CAMSQ performed well in terms of convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and measurement invariance across the United States and Germany. The present research indicates that the CAMSQ assesses maladaptive forms of having too little or too much certainty about mental states (consistent with hypomentalizing and hypermentalizing). A psychologically adaptive profile of perceived mentalizing capacity appears to be characterized by high Self-Certainty that exceeds Other-Certainty, suggesting that imbalances between Self-Certainty and Other-Certainty (Other-Self-Discrepancy) play an important role within personality pathology.

Longitudinal Effects of the Pandemic and Confinement on the Anxiety Levels of a Sample of Spanish Children in Primary Education

(1) Background: The psychological effects of confinement due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic on children are only partially known. In Madrid, Spain, children suffered a strict confinement for 10 weeks and they returned to school under conditions that were far from normal. This work assesses the effects of the pandemic on the anxiety levels of a group of children living in Madrid. (2) Methods: Children were aged 6 to 11 years (N = 215). A self-report measure of anxiety was completed by participants at two time-points: (1) a few months before the beginning of the pandemic and (2) 1 year later. A smaller subgroup of participants also completed the measure during the confinement period (n = 60). (3) Results: A comparison of these three measures shows that the children’s anxiety was reduced during confinement, and that one year later these levels continue below those registered before the start of the pandemic. (4) Conclusions: These results contradict some previous studies, which found an increase in children’s anxiety as a result of confinement and the pandemic. The discussion considers protective and vulnerability factors in the context of the pandemic, which may affect children’s levels of anxiety.

Burnout, Compassion Satisfaction, and Intent to Quit Among Long-Term Care Nursing Assistants in the Time of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated the stress and burden of those employed in long-term care (LTC) facilities due to staff shortages, increased risks on the job, and ever-changing COVID-19 protocol requirements. This study examines potential differences in pre-COVID-19 and current COVID-19 LTC facility employed nursing assistants on burnout, compassion satisfaction, job satisfaction, and intent to quit. The sample included 81 nursing assistants employed in LTC facilities across the United States, with data collected prior to (n= 42) and during COVID-19 related shutdowns (n= 39). Participants completed the Professional Quality of Life Scale 5 (ProQOL 5), a single-item self-report measure of job satisfaction, and a two-item self-report measure of intent to quit their current employment. Nursing assistants during COVID-19 reported a higher level of burnout and lower level of compassion satisfaction than nursing assistants Pre-COVID-19. However, there were no differences in job satisfaction or intent to quit. The results suggest there may be additional factors that influence an individual’s decision to remain employed above and beyond the impacts of burnout and compassion satisfaction that may be unique to the caring professions. Future research might investigate factors that influence an individual’s decision to remain employed as a nursing assistant during periods of increased stress and burnout. Additionally, the impact of COVID-19 related stress added to the already high levels of stress and burnout on nursing assistants calls for further attention and research devoted to psychological support of LTC staff during crisis and normal times.

Exploring Well-Being Outcomes Among Persons Living with Dementia: Self-Reports Versus Caregiver Proxy Reports

A vast amount of research has focused on the development of dementia caregiving evidence-based programs (EBPs) in order to mitigate the well-known negative impacts of providing care for persons living with dementia (PLWD). In order to support efficacious results, many programs utilize a variety of both objective and subjective outcomes as typically reported by the caregiver or collected via medical history and clinical assessments. However, more recent research has attempted to understand the subjective illness experience of PLWD through self-report measures. Using data obtained from an online database (i.e., Best Practice Caregiving), that currently provides in-depth information on 44 dementia caregiving EBPs, the current study aimed to examine the number of EBPs that incorporated PLWD self-report measures on a variety of well-being outcomes. Results indicate that out of the 44 EBPs included for analysis: 1) Four out of 19 programs evaluating PLWD symptom severity/difficulty/distress used a PLWD self-report measure; 2) Eight out of 10 programs evaluating PLWD symptoms of depression used a PLWD self-report measure; 3) Five out of 10 programs evaluating PLWD quality of life/care utilized a PLWD self-report measure; and 4) One out of 9 programs evaluating ADL/IADL dependencies utilized a PLWD self-report measure. Discussion will focus on potential gaps and limitations of primarily using caregiver proxy reports to collect personal well-being outcomes for PLWD and ways in which researchers can integrate more self-report measures into intervention and programmatic evaluations.

Measuring Duchenne muscular dystrophy impact: development of a proxy-reported measure derived from PROMIS item banks

Background Person-reported outcomes measurement development for rare diseases has lagged behind that of more common diseases. In studies of caregivers of patients with rare diseases, one relies on proxy report to characterize this disability. It is important to measure the child’s disability accurately and comprehensively because it affects caregiver burden. We aimed to create a condition-specific caregiver proxy-report measure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) in order to understand the impact of DMD on the caregiver. Drawing on relevant item banks from the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS), we sought to confirm their reliability and validity in the target sample of DMD caregivers. Methods This web-based study recruited DMD caregivers via Rare Patient Voice, patient-advocacy groups, and word of mouth. Recruitment was stratified by age of the caregiver’s child with DMD, which broadly represents stages of DMD progression: 2–7, 8–12, 13–17, and > 18. Telephone interviews with DMD parent-caregivers pretested possible measures for content validity. The web-based study utilized an algorithm to categorize respondents’ ambulatory status for tailored administration of PROMIS Parent-Proxy items as well as some new items developed based on caregiver interviews. Item response theory analyses were implemented. Results The study sample included 521 DMD caregivers representing equally the four age strata. The proxy-report measure included the following domains: fatigue impact, strength impact, cognitive function, upper extremity function, positive affect, negative affect, sleep-device symptoms, and mobility. The first five domains had strong psychometric characteristics (unidimensionality; acceptable model fit; strong standardized factor loadings; high marginal reliability). Negative Affect, covering anger, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and psychological stress, fit a bifactor model with good model fit, high marginal reliability, and strong factor loadings. The Sleep-device symptoms domain was not unidimensional, and the mobility domain did not have a simple structure due to residual correlations among items at opposite end of the mobility-disability continuum. These two domain scores were retained as clinimetric indices (i.e., uncalibrated scales), to achieve the overall goal of having a content-valid DMD-specific measure across all stages of disease severity. Conclusions The present study derived a DMD-specific proxy-report measure from PROMIS item banks and supplemental items that could potentially be utilized in caregiver research across all stages of the care recipient’s DMD. Future research will focus on assessing the responsiveness and validity of the measure over time and its comparison to DMD patient self-report.