Initial Psychometric Evaluation Research Articles

Measuring Propensity to Perpetrate Microaggressions Toward LGBTQ Individuals: Sexual Orientation Microaggression Scale (SOMS-P) and Gender Identity Microaggression Scale (GIMS-P) Perpetration Version

ABSTRACT This study is an initial psychometric evaluation of the Sexual Orientation Microaggression Perpetration Scale (SOMS-P) and Gender Identity Microaggression Perpetration Scale (GIMS-P). Using data from 2,059 undergraduate students (M age = 21.37, SD = 4.98; Range 18–68; 78.6% assigned female at birth, 13.3% self-identified as sexual minority person), item factor analysis for binary indicators and model comparisons indicated that a correlated four- and five-factor solution for the SOMS-P and GIMS-P, respectively, outperformed a one-factor and higher-order solutions. SOMS-P and GIMS-P scores were positively associated with self-reports of bullying, violence perpetration, and hostile attitudes toward individuals who self-identify as sexual or gender minorities. They were negatively associated with attitudes supportive of sexual or gender minority persons. Reliability of .80 and higher was observed only for theta values between + 0.40 to + 2.60 SD. The psychometric evaluation showed that, while there remain to be opportunities to examine their validity across diverse contexts, SOMS-P and GIMS-P are sound measures of the propensity for SOGI microaggression.

Psychometric Properties of a Psychological Measure of Indigenous Personality (Suryomentaram's Perspective): Initial Study

Background Character development is central in personality and developmental psychology, with strong character as a protective factor against psychological disorders. Given the importance of character assessment, this study explores the development and initial psychometric evaluation of an indigenous personality measure, the Suryomentaram Personality Scale (SPS), grounded in empirical research on individuals trained in Suryomentaram philosophies. Objective The study aimed to (1) develop the SPS and (2) evaluate its psychometric properties, including content validity, factor structure, and internal consistency reliability. Methods Three analytical methods were employed: content validity assessment by six subject matter experts (SMEs), exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and reliability analysis. A convenience sample of 282 students participated in EFA and reliability analyses. Participants were recruited through social media announcements and provided informed consent before completing the SPS. Results Content validity analysis revealed eight items falling below the acceptable Aiken's V threshold (< 0.8) out of 23 initially developed items. EFA of the remaining 15 items identified four relatively independent factors: perseverance, optimism, lack of worry and regret, and empathy. Internal consistency reliability estimates for each factor ranged from 0.482 to 0.716. Conclusion This initial study provides evidence for the adequate psychometric properties of the SPS based on content validity, EFA, and reliability analysis. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the scale's convergent and discriminant validity.

Assessing disorganized attachment in Mexican individuals with psychosis-risk symptoms: initial psychometric evaluation of a Spanish version of the revised Psychosis Attachment Measure

ABSTRACT Background Knowledge of the role of attachment in psychosis would be enhanced by research in low- and middle-income countries and increased availability of measures of disorganized attachment. The Psychosis Attachment Measure is a widely-used self-report questionnaire recently expanded to incorporate the assessment of disorganized attachment. The present study examined the psychometric properties of a Spanish-language adaptation of the revised Psychosis Attachment Measure (PAM-R) in Mexican individuals reporting psychosis-risk symptoms. Methods The sample comprised 264 individuals with a positive screen for high risk for psychosis, drawn from a more extensive general population study. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires via an online survey. Results An exploratory factor analysis of the 23 items yielded three factors interpreted as representing anxious, avoidant, and disorganized attachment. Four items had poor loadings on all factors and were not retained. The dimensions demonstrated adequate internal consistency, but convergent validity was only supported for the anxious and disorganized attachment dimensions. Disorganized attachment showed medium-sized associations with childhood maltreatment, attenuated positive symptoms, and symptom-related distress. Discussion The findings provide initial support for using the disorganized subscale in the Mexican context and for continuing the examination of the measure to further determine its research and clinical utility in Spanish-speaking populations.

An Initial Psychometric Evaluation of a Novel Upper Extremity Pediatric Stroke Hemiplegic Motor Impairment Scale

BackgroundOur team designed an innovative, observation-based motor impairment measure—the Pediatric Stroke Hemiplegic Motor Impairment Scale (Pedi HEMIs). Here we present the results of a survey describing common practices in the pediatric stroke community and the initial psychometric properties of the upper extremity subscale of the Pedi HEMIs (Pedi HEMIs-UE). MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study whereby participants completed a battery of assessments including the novel Pedi HEMIs-UE. Internal consistency was measured via Cronbach alpha (α). Intraclass correlation (ICC) was used to assess inter-rater reliability (IRR). Concurrent validity was investigated using Pearson or polychoric correlations and simple linear regressions. ResultsThe study sample consisted of 18 children aged 1.08 to 15 years. Two participants completed two sets of evaluations, totaling 20 data sets. Cronbach α, a measure of internal consistency, was on average 0.91 (range: 0.89 to 0.92). IRR was excellent with the six raters in almost perfect agreement (ICC = 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.83 to 0.96). Pearson correlation coefficient between the Pedi HEMIs-UE and logit Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA)/mini-AHA was −0.938 (95% CI: −0.979 to −0.827, P < 0.001), indicating excellent concurrent validity. ConclusionsWe found excellent feasibility, reliability, and validity of the Pedi HEMIs-UE in a convenience sample of youth with hemiparesis after stroke.

Initial psychometric evaluation and cross-cultural generalization of the Resilience Evaluation Scale (RES) in college students

The Resilience Evaluation Scale (RES) is a newly developed measure of resilience written in both English and Dutch languages. To date, there have not been comprehensive psychometric evaluations of the RES’ performance, including validity for use in non-Western cultural populations and languages. In our attempt to address this void, we conducted a psychometric evaluation of the RES utilizing a Western, sample of U.S. college students and non-Western sample of Chinese college students. Our psychometric evaluation of the RES in a Western, English-speaking sample of U.S. college students indicated mixed results on the construct validity of the RES for measuring resilience. We also found that the factor structure of the RES lacked configural invariance across U.S. college student and Chinese college student samples. Results suggested that additional research is needed to assess whether the RES appropriately measures internal factors of resilience or requires modification. We also highlight the need for continued development of cross-culturally valid measures, and possibly different conceptualizations, of resilience across cultural and linguistic groups.

1 The Mobile Toolbox for Monitoring Cognitive Change

Objective:To present the Mobile Toolbox (MTB), comprised of an expandable library of cognitive and other tests, including adapted versions of NIH Toolbox® measures. The MTB provides a complete research platform for app creation, study management, data collection, and data management. We will describe the MTB project and MTB research platform and demonstrate examples of assessments.Participants and Methods:MTB is the product of an NIH-funded, multi-institutional effort involving Northwestern University, Sage Bionetworks, Penn State, University of California San Francisco, University of California San Diego, Emory University, and Washington University. The MTB assessment library is a dynamic repository built upon Sage Bionetworks mobile health platform. All MTB measures are created or adapted for a mobile interface using iOS and Android smartphones. Guided by the principles of open science, many components are open source to allow researchers and developers to integrate externally developed tests, including supplemental scales (e.g., passively collected contextual factors) assessing variables such as mood and fatigue that might influence cognitive test performance.Results:The current MTB library includes eight core cognitive tests based on well-established neuropsychological measures: two language tasks (Spelling and Word Meaning), two executive functioning tasks (Arrow Matching and Shape-Color Sorting), an associative memory task (Faces and Names), an episodic memory task (Arranging Pictures), a working memory task (Sequences) and a processing speed task (Numbers and Symbols). Additional cognitive assessments from other popular test libraries including the International Cognitive Ability Resource (ICAR), Cognitive Neuroscience Test Reliability and Clinical Applications for Schizophrenia (CNTRACS) and Test My Brain are currently being implemented, as are non-cognitive measures from the NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). The MTB library includes measures suitable for use in research studies incorporating point-in-time and burst designs as well as ecological momentary assessment (EMA).Conclusions:The MTB was created to address many of the scientific, practical, and technical challenges to cognitive assessment by capitalizing on advances in technology measurement and cognitive research. Initial psychometric evaluation of measures has been performed, and additional clinical validation is underway in studies with persons at risk for cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease (AD), diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD, Parkinson’s disease, and HIV-associated Neurocognitive Disorders. Calculation of norms and reliable change indicators is in progress. The MTB is currently available to beta testers with public release planned for Summer, 2023. Clinical researchers will be able to use the MTB system to design smartphone-based test batteries, deploy and manage mobile data collection in their research studies, and aggregate and analyze results in the context of large-scale norming data.

Development of webcam-collected and artificial-intelligence-derived social and cognitive performance measures for neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes.

This study focused on the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a set of online, webcam-collected, and artificial intelligence-derived patient performance measures for neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes (NDGS). Initial testing and qualitative input was used to develop four stimulus paradigms capturing social and cognitive processes, including social attention, receptive vocabulary, processing speed, and single-word reading. The paradigms were administered to a sample of 375 participants, including 163 with NDGS, 56 with idiopathic neurodevelopmental disability (NDD), and 156 neurotypical controls. Twelve measures were created from the four stimulus paradigms. Valid completion rates varied from 87 to 100% across measures, with lower but adequate completion rates in participants with intellectual disability. Adequate to excellent internal consistency reliability (α = 0.67 to 0.95) was observed across measures. Test-retest reproducibility at 1-month follow-up and stability at 4-month follow-up was fair to good (r = 0.40-0.73) for 8 of the 12 measures. All gaze-based measures showed evidence of convergent and discriminant validity with parent-report measures of other cognitive and behavioral constructs. Comparisons across NDGS groups revealed distinct patterns of social and cognitive functioning, including people with PTEN mutations showing a less impaired overall pattern and people with SYNGAP1 mutations showing more attentional, processing speed, and social processing difficulties relative to people with NFIX mutations. Webcam-collected performance measures appear to be a reliable and potentially useful method for objective characterization and monitoring of social and cognitive processes in NDGS and idiopathic NDD. Additional validation work, including more detailed convergent and discriminant validity analyses and examination of sensitivity to change, is needed to replicate and extend these observations.

The initial psychometric evaluation of a new Emergency Department Patient-Reported Experience Measure (ED PREM)

The initial psychometric evaluation of a new Emergency Department Patient-Reported Experience Measure (ED PREM)

Translation and Initial Psychometric Evaluation of Spanish Versions of Three Psychedelic Acute Effects Measures: Mystical, Challenging, and Insight Experiences

ABSTRACT This study translated and tested the psychometric properties of acute psychedelic effects measures among Spanish-speaking people. The Psychological Insight Questionnaire (PIQ), Challenging Experiences Questionnaire (CEQ), and Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ) were translated before being incorporated into a web-based survey. We recruited native Spanish-speakers (N = 442; Mage = 30.8, SD = 10.9; Latino/Latina = 62%; Hispanic = 91.4%; male = 71.5%) to assess their previous experience with one of two psychedelics (LSD = 58.4%; Psilocybin = 41.6%) and their acute and enduring effects. Confirmatory factor analysis (confirming factor structure based on the English version) revealed a good fit for the MEQ, PIQ and the CEQ. Repeating our analysis in each drug subsample revealed consistency in factor structure for each assessment tool. Construct validity was supported by significant positive associations between the PIQ and MEQ, and between the PIQ and MEQ and changes in cognitive fusion and negative associations between changes in prosocial behaviors. As a signal of predictive validity, persisting effects (PEQ) were strongly related to scores on the MEQ and PIQ. Findings demonstrate that the Spanish versions of these measures can be reliably employed in studies of psychedelic use or administration in Spanish-speaking populations.

Development and initial psychometric evaluation of a COVID-related psychosocial experiences questionnaire for cancer survivors.

Cancer survivors are at elevated risk of psychological problems related to COVID-19, yet no published measure adequately assesses their psychosocial experiences during the pandemic. Describe the development and factor structure of a comprehensive, self-report measure (COVID-19 Practical and Psychosocial Experiences questionnaire [COVID-PPE]) assessing the pandemic's impact on US cancer survivors. The sample (n = 10,584) was divided into three groups to assess COVID-PPE factor structure by conducting: (1) initial calibration/exploratory analysis of the factor structure of 37 items (n = 5070), (2) confirmatory factor analysis of the best-fitting model (36 items after item removal; n = 5140), and (3) post-hoc confirmatory analysis with an additional six items not collected in the first two groups (42 items; n = 374). The final COVID-PPE was divided into two sets of subscales, conceptualized as Risk Factors and Protective Factors. The five Risk Factors subscales were labeled Anxiety Symptoms, Depression Symptoms, Health Care Disruptions, Disruptions to Daily Activities and Social Interactions, and Financial Hardship. The four Protective Factors subscales were labeled Perceived Benefits, Provider Satisfaction, Perceived Stress Management Skills, and Social Support. Internal consistency was acceptable for seven subscales (αs = 0.726-0.895; ωs = 0.802-0.895) but poor or questionable for the remaining two subscales (αs = 0.599-0.681; ωs = 0.586-0.692). To our knowledge, this is the first published self-report measure comprehensively capturing psychosocial impact-both positive and negative-of the pandemic on cancer survivors. Future work should evaluate predictive utility of COVID-PPE subscales, particularly as the pandemic evolves, which may inform recommendations for cancer survivors and facilitate identification of survivors most in need of intervention.

Development and initial psychometric evaluation of the Perceptions of Parental Illness Questionnaire for Cancer.

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Perceptions of Parental Illness Questionnaire for Cancer (PPIQ-C) among adolescents and young adults (AYAs). A sample of 372 AYAs (aged 12-24years) who had a parent diagnosed with cancer completed the PPIQ-C and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Exploratory factor analyses were conducted to examine the dimensional structure of the PPIQ-C. Scale reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha (α) and McDonald's omega (ω). Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to assess construct validity by examining correlations between PPIQ-C subscale scores and K10 total scores. The PPIQ-C is organised into three sections, each with a separate factor structure for items representing identity, core (emotional representations, coherence, timeline, consequences, and controllability), and cause dimensions of the Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation. Exploratory factor analyses determined the structure of each section: identity items comprised two subscales (12 items), core items comprised 10 subscales (38 items), and cause items comprised three subscales (11 items). Scale reliability was acceptable for all subscales, except the cause subscale chance or luck attributions (α=0.665). Correlations between PPIQ-C subscale scores and K10 total scores provided support for construct validity. Preliminary evidence suggests that the PPIQ-C is a reliable, valid, and useful tool for assessing illness perceptions among AYAs with a parent with cancer. The PPIQ-C may be a useful addition to both clinical practice and future research, however further evaluation work is needed to confirm its structure and robustness prior to use.

Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Portuguese Version of the Canine Orthopedic Index.

The aim of this study was to perform the initial psychometric evaluation of the Portuguese version of the Canine Orthopaedic Index (COI). In a prospective, randomized study, a group of 50 police working dogs with bilateral hip osteoarthritis was assessed. A copy of the translated Portuguese version of the COI was completed by canine handlers, native Portuguese speakers. This result was compared with that of 50 sound dogs. Construct validity was determined by comparing sound dogs and dogs with osteoarthritis scores with the Mann-Whitney test. Additionally, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olin measure of sampling adequacy, eigenvalue, and scree-plot analysis were performed. Internal consistency was tested with Cronbach's α. A significant difference was observed between osteoarthritis and sound dogs in all dimensions of the COI (p < 0.01 for all), indicating construct validity. Two factors accounted for 87.8% of the total variance. Cronbach's α was 0.98, with a high interitem correlation, accounting for strong internal consistency. We presented criterion and construct validity of the Portuguese version of the COI. It is a step in providing clinicians with a validated and accessible tool to evaluate orthopaedic patients. Further studies are required.

Development of informant-report neurobehavioral survey scales for PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome and related neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes.

There are few well-validated measures that are appropriate for assessing the full range of neurobehavioral presentations in PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS) and other neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes (NDGS). As potential therapeutics are developed, having reliable, valid, free, and easily accessible measures to track a range of neurobehavioral domains will be crucial for future clinical trials. This study focused on the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a set of freely available informant-report survey scales for PHTS-the Neurobehavioral Evaluation Tool (NET). Concept elicitation, quantitative ratings, and cognitive interviewing processes were conducted with stakeholders and clinician-scientist experts, used to identify the most important neurobehavioral domains for this population, and to ensure items were appropriate for the full range of individuals with PHTS. Results of this process identified a PHTS neurobehavioral impact model with 11 domains. The final NET scales assessing these domains were administered to a sample of 384 participants (median completion time = 20.6 min), including 32 people with PHTS, 141 with other NDGS, 47 with idiopathic neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD), and 164 neurotypical controls. Initial psychometric results for the total scores of each scale indicated very good model (ω = 0.83-0.99) and internal consistency reliability (α = 0.82-0.98) as well as excellent test-retest reproducibility at 1-month follow-up (r = 0.78-0.98) and stability at 4-month follow-up (r = 0.76-0.96). Conditional reliability estimates indicated very strong measurement precision in key score ranges for assessing PHTS and other people with NDGS and/or idiopathic NDD. Comparisons across domains between PHTS and the other groups revealed specific patterns of symptoms and functioning, including lower levels of challenging behavior and more developed daily living and executive functioning skills relative to other NDGS. The NET appears to be a reliable and potentially useful tool for clinical characterization and monitoring of neurobehavioral symptoms in PHTS and may also have utility in the assessment of other NDGS and idiopathic NDD. Additional validation work, including convergent and discriminant validity analyses, are needed to replicate and extend these observations.

The Swedish version of EMPATHIC-30 translation and initial psychometric evaluation.

One way to measure quality of care is by measuring satisfaction of provided care among patients and their families. EMpowerment of PArents in THe Intensive Care 30 (EMPATHIC-30) is a self-reported questionnaire grounded on the principles of FCC aiming to measure parents' satisfaction with paediatric intensive care. There is lack of Swedish questionnaires measuring satisfaction with paediatric intensive care based on family-centered care principles. The aim was to translate the instrument EMpowerment of PArents in THe Intensive Care 30 (EMPATHIC-30) into the Swedish language and evaluate psychometrically the Swedish version in a paediatric intensive care context. The instrument EMPATHIC-30 was translated and adapted to Swedish context, thereafter, assessed by expert panels consisting of nurses (panel one; n=4; panel two; n=24) and parents (n=8) with experience in paediatric intensive care. Construct validity, item characteristics and reliability were tested in a cohort of 97 parents whose child had been treated for at least 48 h at two out of four Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICUs) in Sweden. Parents whose child died during hospitalisation were excluded. The Swedish version of EMPATHIC-30 showed an acceptable internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total scale 0.925. Cronbach's alpha on the domain level varied between 0.548-0.792 with the lowest coefficient in the domain Organisation. Inter-scale correlation revealed acceptable correlations for both subscales (0.440-0.743) and between total scale and subscales (0.623-0.805), which demonstrated good homogeneity for the instrument in its entirety. One problem regarding the domain Organisation and especially the item "It was easy to contact the pediatric intensive care unit by telephone" was revealed, which indicated that the item needs to be reformulated or that the factor structure needs to be further evaluated. The findings from the current study indicated that the Swedish version of EMPATHIC-30 has acceptable psychometric properties and can be used in Swedish PICUs. Using EMPATHIC-30 in clinical practice can give an indication of the overall quality of family-centered care at the PICU.

Daily living skills scale: Development and preliminary validation of a new, open-source assessment of daily living skills.

Autistic individuals and individuals with a range of other neurodevelopmental conditions (NDD) often present with lower levels of daily living skills (DLS) when compared to their neurotypical peers. Importantly, lower levels of DLS have been linked to a range of negative outcomes, including lower rates of post-secondary education, lower employment rates, and higher daily support needs across autism and NDD. However, there are currently no open-source informant-reported instruments for capturing key aspects of DLS. This study describes the development, refinement, and initial psychometric evaluation of a new, relatively brief (53-item). Daily Living Skills Scale (DLSS) in a sample of 1,361 children aged 2-17 years, Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated an excellent fit of unidimensional model to the data (CFI = 0.953, TLI = 0.951, RMSEA = 0.073 [95% CI: 0.071-0.074]). The single-factor CFA model showed evidence of measurement invariance of factor loadings, thresholds, and residual variance (strict invariance) across sex, age, race, and ethnicity. Model reliability and internal consistency were excellent (ω = 0.98; α = 0.97). Conditional reliability estimates indicated very good reliability (= 0.80) for the total DLS scale from very low (θ = -4.2) to high (θ = +2.4) scores. Conceptually derived self-care, homecare, and community participation subscales also showed strong reliability and internal consistency. With further replication, the EFS has excellent potential for wide adoption across research and clinical contexts.

The Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire: Development and psychometric evaluation of a new, open-source measure of autism symptomatology.

To describe the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a new, freely available measure, the Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire (ASDQ). After development and revision of an initial 33-item version, informants completed a revised 39-item version of the ASDQ on 1467 children and adolescents (aged 2-17 years), including 104 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The initial 33-item version of the ASDQ had good reliability and construct validity. However, only four specific symptom factors were identified, potentially due to an insufficient number of items. Factor analyses of the expanded instrument identified a general ASD factor and nine specific symptom factors with good measurement invariance across demographic groups. Scales showed good-to-excellent overall and conditional reliability. Exploratory analyses of predictive validity for ASD versus neurotypical and other developmental disability diagnoses indicated good accuracy for population and at-risk contexts. The ASDQ is a free and psychometrically sound informant report instrument with good reliability of measurement across a continuous range of scores and preliminary evidence of predictive validity. The measure may be a useful alternative to existing autism symptom measures but further studies with comparison of clinical diagnoses using criterion-standard instruments are needed. The Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire (ASDQ) is a new, freely available measure of autism symptoms. The ASDQ showed reliable and accurate measurement of autism symptoms. The measure had good screening efficiency for autism spectrum disorder relative to other developmental conditions.

Development and validation of the Executive Functioning Scale.

Executive functioning (EF) processes are essential for adaptive and flexible responding to the demands and complexities of everyday life. Conversely, if impaired, these processes are a key transdiagnostic risk factor that cuts across autism and a range of other neurodevelopmental (NDD) and neuropsychiatric (NPD) conditions. However, there are currently no freely available informant-report measures that comprehensively characterize non-affective (e.g., working memory, response inhibition, and set shifting) and affective (e.g., emotion regulation) EF subdomains. This study describes the development, refinement, and initial psychometric evaluation of a new 52-item Executive Functioning Scale (EFS). Two independent data collections yielded exploratory (n = 2004, 169 with autism, ages 2-17) and confirmatory (n = 954, 74 with autism, ages 2-17) samples. Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) model with six specific factors that closely matched hypothesized executive functioning subdomains of working memory and sequencing, response inhibition, set-shifting, processing speed, emotion regulation, and risk avoidance, and one general factor, showed the best fit to the data and invariance across age, sex, race, and ethnicity groups. Model reliability and internal consistency were excellent for the general factor (ω = 0.98; α = 0.97) and specific factors (ω ≥ 0.89-0.96; α ≥ 0.84-0.94). Conditional reliability estimates indicated excellent reliability (≥0.90) for the total EF scale and adequate or better reliability (≥0.70) for subscale scores. With further replication, the EFS has excellent potential for wide adoption across research and clinical contexts.

Provision of Psychological Support to a 31-Year-Old Man with SARS-CoV2-Induced Pneumonia during and after Hospitalization: A Clinical Case Report

A 31-year-old man hospitalized during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020 suffering from severe psychological distress, requested psychological assistance as his condition progressively worsened, eventually requiring intubation. After being referred to the clinical psychology service by a ward physician, the patient was assisted remotely for two months for a total of 22 sessions during hospitalization and after discharge. A psychometric evaluation was carried out when the patient was close to discharge and longitudinally, for a total of four times, for depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7)), post-traumatic stress disorder (Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R)) and insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)). Support was provided remotely, mainly through audio and video calls, and text chats were also utilized when possible and as required. The initial psychometric evaluation indicated moderate depression, severe anxiety, the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep problems. Psychological distress decreased until reaching a situation of no distress in the final evaluation. Psychological interventions from which the patient benefitted were stress reduction and breathing techniques, empathic support, elaboration of the possibility of grief and cognitive restructuring regarding fears relative to his condition. Psychological support provided remotely and the monitoring of psychological status after discharge are highly advisable in pandemic emergency situations. The CARE checklist of information to include when writing a case report was utilized in the writeup of this case report.

Targeted Box and Blocks Test: Evidence of Convergent Validity in Upper Limb Prosthesis User Population

<h3>Research Objectives</h3> To conduct an initial psychometric evaluation in the upper limb prosthesis user population of a novel performance-based measure called the targeted Box and Blocks Test (tBBT) requiring controlled grasping, transport, and release of objects that can be used to evaluate upper limb functional ability. <h3>Design</h3> Nonrandomized controlled trial. <h3>Setting</h3> Academic research lab. <h3>Participants</h3> A convenience sample of n = 8 transradial myoelectric prosthesis users (3F/5M; mean age 46.3 ± 14.3 years). Nearly all prosthesis users used their myoelectric prosthetic device >8 hours/day and >5 days/week. Time since amputation for all but two prosthesis users was less than 6 years. <h3>Interventions</h3> Not applicable. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> Participants were timed as they performed two trials each of the tBBT (in both a standing and seated position); the fork, reach overhead, and door knob tasks from the Activities Measure for Upper Limb Amputees (AM-ULA); and the picture frame, bottle squeeze, and pick up dice tasks from the Capacity Assessment of Prosthesis Performance for the Upper Limb (CAPPFUL). Average time of trials was used to calculate the Pearson correlation coefficients between tBBT and each task performed from the CAPPFUL and AM-ULA. <h3>Results</h3> Nearly all correlations between the tBBT (standing and seated) and select tasks from the AM-ULA and CAPPFUL were moderate to strong, ranging from 0.48 to 0.90. The correlation between tBBT in a seated position and the reach overhead AM-ULA task was weaker (R = 0.38). Interestingly, there was a significant strong negative correlation between tBBT score and the CAPPFUL task of squeezing water from a bottle (R = -0.89 for tBBT standing and R = -.76 for tBBT seated). <h3>Conclusions</h3> Preliminary results demonstrate the tBBT in both seated and standing positions has acceptable convergent validity in the upper limb prosthesis user population. Additional psychometric properties (e.g., known-group validity, test-retest reliability) should be determined to fully characterize this novel measure. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> None.

Initial psychometric evaluation of the Portuguese version of the Canine Brief Pain Inventory.

To perform the initial psychometric evaluation of the Portuguese version of the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI). A total of 100 dogs, 50 with bilateral hip osteoarthritis and 50 unaffected dogs. The 2 groups of dogs were assessed using the CBPI. The English version of the CBPI (divided into a pain severity score and a pain interference score) was translated into Portuguese, and a copy of the translated version was completed by native Portuguese speakers' canine handlers. The results from the 2 groups were compared, and psychometric properties were evaluated. Construct validity was evaluated by assessing differences between animals with osteoarthritis and unaffected animals with the Mann-Whitney test. Further evaluation was performed with the Kaiser-Meyer-Olin measure of sampling adequacy, Eigenvalue, and scree-plot analysis. Internal consistency was tested with Cronbach α. A significant difference was observed between dogs with osteoarthritis and unaffected dogs in pain severity and pain interference scores (P < .01 for both), one indication of construct validity. Cronbach α was 0.99, and a high interitem correlation was observed, showing strong internal consistency. One factor accounted for 92.3% of the total variance. We presented the initial validation of the Portuguese version of the CBPI and its validity in the Portuguese language. It is an essential step in providing a valid tool for clinicians to assess pain in dogs with osteoarthritis. Further studies are required to determine if the present results can be replicated across samples with different characteristics and evaluate response to treatment.