Measurement of Hopelessness in Families of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Dimensionality and Measurement Invariance of the Beck Hopelessness Scale

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The study aimed to assess the suitability of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) in evaluating the hopelessness of parents with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Using multidimensional item response theory modelling, the research involved 437 participants recruited from a private psychological institution in Shenzhen, China. The findings indicated a method effect on the factor structure of the BHS, with a bifactor model representing the best fit for the data, consisting of a general hopelessness factor and two method effect factors. Moreover, the study verified the measurement invariance of the BHS across genders and concluded that it measures a single latent construct among parents of children with ASD, despite its multidimensional nature being attributed to the wording of items. In general, the research supports the BHS as a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing the hopelessness of family members of children with ASD.