French-speaking Adolescents Research Articles

Individual and environmental correlates of tap water consumption among adolescents in Canada

The study objective was to identify correlates of tap water consumption among adolescents. French-speaking adolescents from the province of Québec (Canada) were recruited in person and online from March to July 2023 using diverse recruitment strategies. Water consumption was measured using the validated French version of a questionnaire specifically designed to measure adolescents' beverage intake. Participants answered an online survey on their attitude towards tap and bottled water which also measured individual and environmental factors that can influence tap water consumption. A total of 218 adolescents (14–17 years; 55.5% female) completed the survey. On average, 79.2% of adolescents' water intake came from tap and 33.5% of them consumed exclusively tap water. Thinking that bottled water is more convenient than tap water was a significant correlate of adolescents' tap water consumption (OR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.51, 0.95; p = 0.0219). Adolescents who believed that bottled water is more convenient than tap water were less likely to consume exclusively tap water. Public health interventions aimed at promoting adolescents’ tap water should strive to make tap water intake be perceived as convenient as bottled water, such as encouraging teenagers to always carry along a reusable water bottle, installing drinking fountains in popular public areas, and increasing the visibility of such fountains.

Assessing the relative validity of a web-based self-administered 24-hour dietary recall in a Canadian adolescent’s population

BackgroundHealthy eating habits at a young age are crucial to support growth and development and good general health. In this context, monitoring youth dietary intakes adequately with valid tools is important to develop efficient interventions and identify groups that are more at risk of inadequate intakes. This study aimed to assess the relative validity of the self-administered web-based 24-h dietary recall (R24W) for evaluating energy and nutrient intakes among active adolescents.MethodsParticipants were invited to complete one interviewer-administered 24-h dietary dietary recall and the R24W on up to three occasions within one month. A total of 272 French-speaking active adolescents aged 12 to 17 years from the province of Québec were invited to complete three R24W and one interview-administered 24-h recall. Student’s t-test and correlations were conducted on sex-adjusted data. Percent differences, cross-classification (percentage of agreement), weighted Kappa and Bland-Altman plots were calculated.ResultsMean (SD) energy intake from the R24W was 8.8% higher than from the interview-administered 24-h dietary recall (2558 kcal ± 1128 vs. 2444 kcal ± 998, p < 0.05). Significant differences in mean nutrient intake between the R24W and the interview-administered 24-h dietary recall ranged from 6.5% for % E from fat (p < 0.05) to 25.2% for saturated fat (p < 0.001), i.e., higher values with R24W. Sex-adjusted correlations were significant for all nutrients except for % E from proteins and thiamin (range: 0.24 to 0.52, p < 0.01). Cross-classification demonstrated that 36.6% of the participants were classified in the same fourth with both methods, 39.6% in the adjacent fourth, and 5.7% misclassified. Bland-Atman plots revealed proportional bias between the two methods for 7/25 nutrients. Completing at least two recalls with the R24W increased the precision of intake estimates.ConclusionThese data suggest that the R24W presents an acceptable relative validity compared to a standard interview-administered 24-h recall for estimating energy and most nutrients in a cohort of French-speaking adolescents from the province of Québec.

Association between Beverage Consumption and Sleep Quality in Adolescents.

The objective of this study was to verify if the consumption of different beverages (such as water, 100% pure fruit juice, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs)) is associated with adolescents' sleep quality. French-speaking adolescents were recruited in person and online throughout the province of Québec (Canada) from the end of March to early July 2023. Beverage consumption and sleep quality were measured using French versions of validated questionnaires specifically designed for adolescents. A total of 218 adolescents (14-17 years; 55.5% female) completed the online survey. Among caffeinated SSBs, energy drink (rs = -0.16; p = 0.0197) and sugar-sweetened coffee (rs = -0.33; p < 0.0001) intake was correlated with adolescents' sleep quality. Energy drink consumption (β = -0.0048; p = 0.0005) and being male (β = 0.6033; p < 0.0001) were associated with adolescents' sleep quality. There was an interaction between sugar-sweetened coffee intake and biological sex that was associated with adolescents' sleep quality (p = 0.0053). Sugar-sweetened coffee consumption was correlated with adolescent girls' abilities to go to bed (rs = -0.21; p = 0.0203) and fall asleep (rs = -0.28; p = 0.0020), while in boys, it was only significantly correlated with their abilities to go to bed (rs = -0.27; p = 0.0069). Public health interventions aimed at adolescent boys should primarily target lowering energy drink consumption, while those aimed at girls should prioritize sugar-sweetened coffee intake to possibly improve their sleep quality.

Attachment as an intermediary variable between childhood maltreatment and perceived partner responsiveness in adolescents and young adults.

Cumulative childhood maltreatment (CCM) is associated with relationship difficulties including lower perceived partner responsiveness (PPR)-the degree of feeling cared for, understood, and validated by a person's partner. Attachment theory is understood via its representations of self and others and could offer a better understanding of how CCM effects continue into adulthood and affect PPR. We examined whether CCM is related to PPR via attachment in French-speaking adolescents and young adults. A sample of 427 individuals in a romantic relationship and another sample of 159 couples completed self-report measures. In both samples, a person's CCM was associated with their own lower PPR via their higher attachment anxiety and avoidance. In the dyadic sample, a person's CCM was associated with their partner's lower PPR via their own higher attachment anxiety. Attachment insecurities help understand the associations between CCM and PPR and may represent an important intervention target.

Number agreement processing in adolescents with and without developmental language disorder (DLD): evidence from event-related brain potentials

In morphologically richer languages, including French, one must learn the specific properties of number agreement in order to understand the language, and this learning process continues into adolescence. This study examined similarities and differences between French-speaking adolescents with and without developmental language disorder (DLD) when processing number agreement, and investigated how morpho-syntactic regularity affected language processing. Using event-related potentials (ERP) and only grammatical sentences with audio-visual mismatches, we studied ERP correlates to three types of number agreement: (1) regular determiner agreement in noun phrases, (2) regular subject-verb plural liaison, and (3) irregular subject-verb agreement. We also included a lexico-semantic mismatch condition to investigate lexico-semantic processing in our participants. 17 adolescents with DLD (M = 14.1 years) and 20 (pre)teens with typical language (TL, M = 12.2 years) participated in the study. Our results suggest three patterns. First, French-speaking teenagers without DLD are still consolidating their neurocognitive processing of morpho-syntactic number agreement and generally display ERP profiles typical of lower language proficiency than adult native speakers. Second, differences in morphosyntactic processing between teenagers with and without DLD seem to be limited to rule-based (regular) number agreement. Third, there is little evidence for corresponding differences in lexico-semantic processing.

Validation d’un questionnaire mesurant la consommation de boissons sucrées, jus et eau auprès d’adolescents francophones

Purpose: To examine the temporal stability and relative validity of the adapted French version of an English self-reported questionnaire measuring the beverage intake (BEVQ) of adolescents.Methods: The French adaptation of the BEVQ (AF-BEVQ) included conversion from the imperial to the metric system and the adjustment of some formats to those available in Canada. Next, 60 adolescents from two regions in Quebec completed the AF-BEVQ and two web-based 24-hour dietary recalls (R24W) (one for a weekday and one for a weekend day) on two occasions, two weeks apart.Results: The AF-BEVQ had moderate intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages (ICC: 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.46-0.81), fruit juice (ICC: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.23-0.72) and water (ICC: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.38-0.81) consumed. The amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages (rs = 0.49; p < 0.0001), fruit juice (rs = 0.38; p = 0.0024) and water (rs = 0.65; p < 0.0001) reported in the AF-BEVQ were significantly correlated with those of both R24Ws.Conclusions: For the most part, the AF-BEVQ had adequate metrological properties. It is an interesting tool to quickly measure the sugar-sweetened beverage, fruit juice and water intake of French-speaking adolescents.

Identifying Linguistic Markers of French-Speaking Teenagers With Developmental Language Disorder: Which Tasks Matter?

This research aimed to identify reliable tasks discriminating French-speaking adolescents with developmental language disorder (DLD) from their peers with typical language (TL) and to assess which linguistic domains represent areas of particular weakness in DLD. Unlike English, morphosyntax has not been identified as a special area of weakness when compared with lexicosemantics in French preschoolers with DLD. Since there is evidence that subject-verb number agreement is consolidated in later childhood, one might expect morphosyntax to be a particular weakness and marker of French DLD only in (pre)adolescence. We administered 20 subtasks that assessed linguistic and phonological working memory skills of two groups: 17 adolescents clinically identified as having DLD (M = 14.1 years) and 20 (pre)teens with TL (M = 12.2 years). Using robust statistics that are less affected by outliers, we selected the most discriminating subtasks between our groups, calculated their optimal cutoff score, and derived diagnostic accuracy statistics. We combined these subtasks in a multivariable model to identify which subtasks contributed the most to the identification of DLD. Seven subtasks were selected as discriminating between our groups, and three showed outstanding diagnostic accuracy: Recalling Sentences, a multiword task assessing lexicosemantic skills, and a subject-verb number agreement production task. When combined, we found that the latter contributed the most to our multivariable model. This study provides evidence that the most relevant markers to identify DLD in French teenagers are tasks assessing lexicosemantics and morphosyntactic domains, and that morphosyntax should be considered an important area of weakness in French-speaking teenagers with DLD. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21753932.

Psychosocial Correlates of Recreational Screen Time among Adolescents.

The study objective was to identify the psychosocial correlates of recreational screen time among adolescents. Data collection took place in four high schools from the Chaudière-Appalaches region (Quebec, Canada) from late April to mid-May 2021. A total of 258 French-speaking adolescents (69.8% between 15 and 16 years and 66.3% girls) answered an online questionnaire based on the Reasoned Action Approach. Recreational screen time was measured using the French version of a validated questionnaire. Adolescents reported a mean of 5 h and 52 min/day of recreational screen time. Recreational screen time was associated with being a boy (β = 0.33; p < 0.0001) and intention to limit recreational screen time to a maximum of 2 h/day (β = -0.15; p = 0.0001); this model explained 30% of the variance in behavior. Intention to limit recreational screen time to a maximum of 2 h/day in the next month was associated with attitude (β = 0.49; p < 0.0001), self-identity (β = 0.33; p < 0.0001), being a boy (β = -0.21; p = 0.0109), perceived behavioral control (β = 0.18; p = 0.0016), and injunctive norm (β = 0.17; p < 0.0001); this model explained 70% of the variance in intention. This study identified avenues to design public health interventions aimed at lowering recreational screen time among this population.

The French version of the Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome Quality of Life Scale for adolescents (GTS-QOL-French-Ado): Adaptation and psychometric evaluation.

The aim of this study was to create a new version of the French GTS-QOL adapted to adolescents with GTS aged 12-16 years (GTS-QOL-French-Ado) and to evaluate its psychometric properties. We assessed the psychometric properties of the GTS-QOL-French-Ado in 84 adolescents (mean age 13.6 years, standard deviation 1.2) in terms of factor structure, internal consistency, reliability and convergent validity with the Child Depression Inventory (CDI), the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC), the Motor tic, Obsessions and compulsions, Vocal tic Evaluation Survey (MOVES) and the French "Vécu et Santé Perçue de l'Adolescent" (VSP-A), a generic self-administered measure of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adolescents. Exploratory factor analysis of the GTS-QOL-French-Ado resulted in a 5-factor solution. The GTS-QOL-French-Ado demonstrated good acceptability with missing values per subscale ranging from 0% to 1.2%, good internal consistency for four of the five subscales with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.56 to 0.87 and good test-retest reliability with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.74 (95% CI: 0.52-0.86) to 0.82 (95% CI: 0.66-0.91). Convergent validity was supported by correlations with CDI, MASC, MOVES, VSP-A and clinical variables. The GTS-QOL-French-Ado is the first disease-specific HRQoL tool for French-speaking adolescents with GTS aged 12-16 years, and shows good psychometric properties. Further psychometric testing on responsiveness to change would be of great interest.

Validation of a French-Canadian adaptation of the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness for adolescents

Sexual assertiveness is a key variable in the development of satisfying and violence-free intimate relationships, yet no specific measure has been validated to assess sexual assertiveness in adolescents. This study aimed to validate the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness in a sample of French-speaking adolescents. Analyses were conducted on self-reported questionnaires from two subsamples comprising a total of 1,292 girls aged 14-19 years (M age = 16.76 years, SD = 1.42). Exploratory structural equation modeling revealed that a five-factor structure was optimal for capturing the following underlying constructs of sexual assertiveness: 1) Sexual needs and desires communication, 2) Refusal of unwanted sex, 3) Sexual intimacy initiation, 4) Comfort talking about sex, and 5) Taking charge of one’s own sexual pleasure. After item reduction, factors showed moderate to high reliability (α = 0.59-0.87). Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to cross-validate the five-factor structure among the second subsample (α = 0.63-0.87). Results support evidence of convergent validity with related measures. Validation of this adaptation of the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness will help scholars further study sexual assertiveness in adolescents. In addition, the measure could serve as an indicator of change in the evaluation of evidence-based interventions.

Structure factorielle et qualités psychométriques du questionnaire d’auto-évaluation pour adolescents (Youth Self-Report) d’Achenbach et Rescorla

IntroductionRecent research on the prognostic significance of subthreshold comorbid disorders highlighted the need for instruments allowing for the comprehensive exploration of symptomatology of adolescents. ObjectiveTo verify the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Achenbach and Rescorla's Youth Self-Report French translation, which allows this investigation. MethodWe had 1450 adolescents 11–17- year old (747 girls) complete the YSR in secondary schools in the Paris metropolitan area. ResultsConfirmatory Factor Analyses and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling supported the 8-syndrome structure. However, since ESEM allows cross-loadings, the number of indicators for each factor in the ESEM models is much higher than in the CFA models. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were satisfactory, and multigroup analyses confirmed the metric and scalar invariance across age and gender of most of the items examined (70 out of 89). We can therefore affirm that girls score lower on Social problems than boys, 15–17-year-old adolescent score higher on Thought problems, Attention problems, and Rule-Breaking Behavior than the younger, and these differences are substantive and independent of differential item functioning. ConclusionThese results are likely to encourage the use of YSR in research and clinical practice with French-speaking adolescents.

Translation and validation of the Child Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (CTFEQr17) in French-speaking Canadian children and adolescents.

To translate and validate the Child Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (CTFEQr17), assessing cognitive restraint (CR), uncontrolled eating (UE) and emotional eating (EE), among French-speaking Canadian young individuals. Phase 1 comprised a translation and the evaluation of the comprehension of the questionnaire. Phase 2 comprised a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the evaluation of internal consistency (Cronbach's α), test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC)) and construct validity, including correlations among the CTFEQr17 and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), anthropometrics, dietary intake and diet quality. Primary and secondary schools, Québec City, Canada. Phases 1 and 2 included 20 (40 % boys, mean age 11·5 (sd 2·4) years) and 145 (48 % boys, mean age 11·0 (sd 1·9) years) participants, respectively. Phase 1 resulted in the questionnaire to be used in Phase 2. In Phase 2, the CFA revealed that the seventeen item, three-factor model (CTFEQr17) provided an excellent fit. Internal consistency was good (Cronbach's α: 0·81-0·90). Test-retest reliability was moderate to good (ICC = 0·59, (95 % CI 0·48, 0·70), ICC = 0·78, (95 % CI 0·70, 0·84), ICC = 0·50, (95 % CI 0·38, 0·62) for CR, UE and EE, respectively). CR correlated with EAT-26 score (r = 0·43, P < 0·0001). UE and EE correlated negatively with BMI Z-scores (r = -0;·26, P = 0·003; r = -0;·19, P = 0·03, respectively). CR correlated with the proportion of energy intake from protein and diet quality (r = 0·18, P = 0·04; r = 0·20, P = 0·02, respectively). The CTFEQr17 is suitable to use among French-speaking Canadian young individuals.

Associations of language-based bedtime routines with early cognitive skills and academic achievement: A follow-up from kindergarten to middle school.

This study aimed to investigate the extent to which language-based bedtime routines (LBR) reported by parents before kindergarten were associated with early cognitive skills at kindergarten and subsequent academic achievement in typically developing children. We followed a community-based sample of 664 French-speaking adolescents from kindergarten (5-6years) to the end of middle school (15years). Kindergarten measures included a parental questionnaire aimed at assessing the presence or absence of any kind of LBR, such as storytelling, looking at children's books, reading a story, listening to songs, or singing nursery rhymes, as well as family contextual characteristics. Children also performed standardized assessments of oral language, pre-reading skills, and non-verbal reasoning. In middle school, children sat a national diploma typically used as an indicator of general academic achievement in Grade 9. After adjusting for family characteristics, the presence of language-based bedtime routines (57%) predicted cognitive-academic skills in kindergarten, and was positively associated with academic achievement at Grade 9, related to the beneficial effect on children's vocabulary in kindergarten. The presence of language-based bedtime routines may provide an indicator of positive parental behaviour including exposure to literacy activities, contributing to children's early cognitive development and subsequent academic achievement.

Validation of the French version of the « Meta-Cognition Questionnaire » for adolescents (MCQ-Af): Evolution of metacognitive beliefs with age and their links with anxiety during adolescence.

IntroductionThe Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire for Adolescents (MCQ-A) measures individual differences of metacognitive beliefs and monitoring thought to be involved in the onset and maintenance of psychological disorders, especially in those involving anxiety. This assessment tool has been employed in research and clinical settings involving French-speaking adolescents, but appropriate validation has yet to be conducted. This article aims to first validate the francophone version of the MCQ-Af using measures sensitive to the expression of anxiety, and secondly, to examine the influence of age and gender on metacognitive beliefs, anxiety and their links.Method214 adolescents (114 females) between 13 and 17 completed the MCQ-Af (French version) as well as the Revised-Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (R-CMAS), French version, to assess anxiety manifestations. Structural validity was examined with confirmatory factor analyses. Three models were compared to the higher order five factor model proposed in the original validation study. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were also performed. Student’s t tests as well as simple and stepwise regressions were conducted to assess for age and gender.ResultsThe five correlated factors retained in the original version of the MCQ were replicated, and confirmatory factor analyses yielded comparable fit indices for a covariate factor model, as well as for a bifactor model. The bifactor model was privileged for theoretical reasons. Analyses were performed on a shortened questionnaire of 27 items as 3 items (2, 12 and 14) had non-significant loadings in prior path analyses. Age and gender differences were found in specific sub-factors of the MCQ-Af; positive and negative metacognitive beliefs seem to increase with age; girls seem to score higher on the negative metacognitive beliefs and thought control dimensions. The study further reports specific links between anxiety manifestation and negative and positive metacognitive beliefs, as well as confidence in one’s memory. A modest influence of age and gender on this link was also highlighted.ConclusionThe present research provides the first evidence that the MCQ-Af is a valid and reliable instrument to assess individual differences of metacognitive beliefs in French-speaking adolescents. Nevertheless, it highlights that caution should be taken in regards of 3 items in particular (items 2, 12 and 14). Furthermore, age and gender in assessed samples of adolescents might influence the scores of the different dimensions of the questionnaire.

Multidimensional scale of self-esteem (EMES-16): Psychometric evaluation of a domain-specific measure of self-esteem for French-speaking adolescents

The EMES-16 is a very short multidimensional measure of domain-specific Self-Esteem designed for French-speaking adolescents. This study presents a psychometric evaluation of this measure among 2603 adolescents with a focus on its factor structure tested in CFA for alternative, theoretically grounded models. Results revealed the superiority of a domain-specific, and partly hierarchical structure, over unidimensional or fully hierarchical structures. This structure supports the derivation of five domain-specific scores (Emotional, Social, Physical, Academic and Creative Self-Esteem) as well as a superordinate composite index (Core Self-Evaluation) underlying the Emotional, Social and Physical Self-Esteem. Measurement invariance testing supported partial equivalence of the construct measured by the EMES-16 across gender and strict equivalence by age groups. Construct validity evaluation suggested strong evidence of EMES-16’s scores convergent and divergent validity with measures of unidimensional Self-Esteem, Self-Concept Clarity, Big Five Personality and Social Desirability. Internal consistency was also satisfactory given the concision of the EMES-16 scales. In conclusion, we discuss the promise of the EMES-16 as a psychometrically solid measure for screening and developmental research purposes among French-speaking adolescents.

Brief report: How many dimensions in the prosocial behavior scale? Psychometric investigation in French-speaking adolescents

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the factor structure and the reliability of the Prosocial Behavior Scale (PBS). To our knowledge, no factorial validity of the multifactorial structure of PBS has been published to date. The psychometric characteristics of the PBS were examined in several samples of French adolescents (aged 11–19, N1 = 1141, N2 = 1071, and N3 = 1640) using Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). The original four-factor structure was not confirmed due to lack of discriminant validity. CFA led us to retain a two-factor solution with a good fit and a satisfactory reliability. Furthermore, the results support the convergent validity of the PBS: helping and caring dimensions were positively correlated with empathy. In addition, partial measurement invariance across gender and grade was attested. In conclusion, the results indicate that the French version of the PBS is a useful instrument for the assessment of prosocial behaviors in adolescence.

Psychometric properties of the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) among a sample of overweight/obese French-speaking adolescents

The Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) was recently developed to assess the internalization of weight stigma among English-speaking overweight and obese adults. The objective of the present study was to develop and examine the psychometric properties of a French version of the WSSQ, as well as its applicability to adolescents. The sample comprised 156 overweight and obese adolescents (81 boys, 75 girls, Mage = 16.31). The factor validity and the convergent validity of the French version of the WSSQ were examined using a confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation model, respectively. The a priori two-factor structure of the WSSQ and the composite reliability of its subscales (self-devaluation and fear of enacted stigma) were supported. Convergent validity analyses revealed that both WSSQ subscales were significantly and (a) negatively correlated with measures of self-esteem and physical appearance, and (b) positively correlated with measures of anxiety, depression, fear of negative appearance evaluation, and eating-related pathology (fear of getting fat, eating-related control, food preoccupation, vomiting-purging behaviors, and eating-related guilt subscales). However, no significant relation was found between the WSSQ subscales and body mass index. These results suggest that the French version of the WSSQ has acceptable psychometric properties and can be used to assess weight self-stigma among overweight and obese adolescents.

A Longitudinal Empirical Investigation of the Pathways Model of Problem Gambling

The pathways model of problem gambling suggests the existence of three developmental pathways to problem gambling, each differentiated by a set of predisposing biopsychosocial characteristics: behaviorally conditioned (BC), emotionally vulnerable (EV), and biologically vulnerable (BV) gamblers. This study examined the empirical validity of the Pathways Model among adolescents followed up to early adulthood. A prospective-longitudinal design was used, thus overcoming limitations of past studies that used concurrent or retrospective designs. Two samples were used: (1) a population sample of French-speaking adolescents (N=1033) living in low socio-economic status (SES) neighborhoods from the Greater Region of Montreal (Quebec, Canada), and (2) a population sample of adolescents (N=3017), representative of French-speaking students in Quebec. Only participants with at-risk or problem gambling by mid-adolescence or early adulthood were included in the main analysis (n=180). Latent Profile Analyses were conducted to identify the optimal number of profiles, in accordance with participants' scores on a set of variables prescribed by the Pathways Model and measured during early adolescence: depression, anxiety, impulsivity, hyperactivity, antisocial/aggressive behavior, and drug problems. A four-profile model fit the data best. Three profiles differed from each other in ways consistent with the Pathways Model (i.e., BC, EV, and BV gamblers). A fourth profile emerged, resembling a combination of EV and BV gamblers. Four profiles of at-risk and problem gamblers were identified. Three of these profiles closely resemble those suggested by the Pathways Model.

English validation of the short form of the Physical Self-Inventory (PSI-S)

The study examined the psychometric properties of scores on the English version of the short Physical Self-Inventory (PSI-S) among 1368 English-Speaking and 224 French-Speaking adolescents. Participants completed the original PSI-S and a revised version including positively-worded reformulations of the original negatively-worded items. The results supported the a priori factor structure, composite reliability, and test-retest reliability (7–8 months) of scores on the revised PSI-S, and its equivalence with the French version. Compared to confirmatory factor analyses, exploratory structural equation modeling resulted in a superior solution, and more cleanly differentiated factors. PSI-S responses were longitudinally invariant across 7–8 months, and presented no evidence of differential item functioning as a function of age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity. The results showed latent mean differences as a function of gender, BMI (linear and curvilinear effects), and physical activity, supporting the criterion-related validity of the PSI-S factors.

The French Version of the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire: Validity Data for Adolescents and Adults and Its Association with Non-Suicidal Self-Injury.

IntroductionThe capacity to understand one’s own actions and those of others in terms of cognitive and affective mental states (i.e., reflective functioning or mentalizing) is thought to play a critical role in both typical and atypical development. To date, however, no self-report tool is available for assessing reflective functioning ability in French-speaking samples. The first aim of this study is to investigate the reliability and validity of the reflective functioning questionnaire (RFQ) in French-speaking adolescents and adults. Secondly, we investigate whether low levels of reflective functioning were associated with non-suicidal self-injury.Methods130 adolescents (66 females, M age = 15.72, SD age = 1.74) and 253 adults (168 females, M age = 23.10, SD age = 2.56) completed a French translation of the RFQ and a battery of self-reported questionnaires to assess a set of clinical (alexithymia; borderline traits; internalizing and externalizing symptoms) and psychological (empathy; mindfulness) variables.ResultsThe current results showed configural invariance of the original two-factor structure of the RFQ across French-speaking adolescents and adults and satisfactory reliability and construct validity of the two subscales. Furthermore, we observed that recent episodes of non-suicidal self-injury were associated with lower levels of reflective functioning in the adult, but not in the adolescent, sample.DiscussionThe present research has methodological and clinical implications in that it provides the first evidence that the RFQ can be used to reliably assess reflective functioning in French-speaking population. The study further shows that impaired ability to consider mental states that lie behind behaviors might play a role in non-suicidal self-injury, at least in adults.