International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology最新文献

{"title":"Association between anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody and insufficient sleep in euthyroid population","authors":"Yuji Shimizu ,&nbsp;Yuko Noguchi ,&nbsp;Nagisa Sasaki ,&nbsp;Mutsumi Matsuu-Matsuyama ,&nbsp;Shin-Ya Kawashiri ,&nbsp;Hirotomo Yamanashi ,&nbsp;Kazuhiko Arima ,&nbsp;Seiko Nakamichi ,&nbsp;Yasuhiro Nagata ,&nbsp;Naomi Hayashida ,&nbsp;Takahiro Maeda","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100565","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100565","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Low sleep quality induces inflammation. Because anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) is an autoantibody that induces inflammation in the thyroid, insufficient sleep may stimulate the production of TPO-Ab. However, the thyroid function is also associated with sleep. Therefore, to evaluate the association between TPO-Ab positivity and insufficient sleep, the target population should be limited to euthyroid individuals whose free triiodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine (T4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) are within the normal ranges.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>This cross-sectional study recruited 1324 euthyroid individuals who participated in annual health checkups. Insufficient sleep was assessed by using a questionnaire. Individuals with free T3, free T4, and TSH levels within the normal ranges were defined as euthyroid.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among the study population, 406 had insufficient sleep, and 242 were TPO-Ab-positive. Insufficient sleep was associated with a higher likelihood of TPO-Ab positivity. Sex and age adjusted odd ratios (95 % confidence intervals, p) of TPO-Ab positive for insufficient sleep was 1.47 (1.08, 2.01, <em>p</em> = 0.014). These associations remained unchanged even after further adjustment for free T4 and TSH, status of body mass index, smoking status, drinking status, mental distress, and physical activity; 1.53 (1.11, 2.10, <em>p</em> = 0.009).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Euthyroid individuals with insufficient sleep may be at risk of autoimmune thyroiditis. Although further investigations are necessary, sleep disorder therapy might reduce the risk of the incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 2","pages":"Article 100565"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation on cognitive flexibility among undergraduates with insomnia symptoms: A prospective, single-blind, randomized control trial","authors":"Muyu Chen ,&nbsp;Jun Jiang ,&nbsp;Han Chen ,&nbsp;Xinyu Liu ,&nbsp;Xinpeng Zhang ,&nbsp;Li Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100567","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100567","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Backgrounds</h3><div>Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS) has been widely used in the treatment of insomnia, but there is a lack of research on whether this method could enhance the cognitive flexibility(CF) of individuals with insomnia symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>To investigate the effects of rTMS on the CF of undergraduates with insomnia symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>29 participants were randomly assigned into Active group(<em>n</em> = 15) and Sham group(<em>n</em> = 14), receiving 1 Hz rTMS interventions targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 2 weeks, comprising 10 sessions (active vs sham stimulation). Sleep quality and CF were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index(ISI), Cognitive Flexibility Inventory(CFI), and the Number-Letter Task (N-L task) at baseline(T0), post-intervention(T1), and 8 weeks’ follow-up(T2), and event-related potential(ERP) data during the N-L task were recorded.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Following the intervention, compared to the Sham group, the ISI and PSQI scores in the Active group were significantly decreased, and the CFI score was significantly increased (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01); the results of the N-L task indicated that at T1, the switch cost of reaction time and accuracy for the Sham group were significantly higher than those for the Active group(<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). ERP analysis indicated that at T2, under switch conditions, the amplitude of the frontal area P2 in the Active group was significantly greater than that in the Sham group, and the beta-band ERD at parietal region in the Active group was significantly lower than that in the Sham group (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>rTMS could improve sleep quality and enhance the CF of undergraduates with insomnia symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Clinical Trials Registration</h3><div>The effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation on cognitive flexibility in college students with insomnia (ChiCTR2400081263) URL: <span><span>https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=202951</span><svg><path></path></svg></span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 2","pages":"Article 100567"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143829169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Replicating and extending research on sanctification: A cognitive appraisal with implications for behaviors, attitudes, and self-image","authors":"Elizabeth J. Krumrei-Mancuso,&nbsp;Janet P. Trammell,&nbsp;Jennifer A. Harriger,&nbsp;Joshua A. Evans","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Basic competency in religious and spiritual issues among mental health professionals includes knowledge about the role of religion/spirituality in people's lives, particularly as it relates to mental health. This research focuses on cognitive appraisals of sanctification by which individuals interpret stimuli to be sacred. We examined the extent to which adults in the U.S. (<em>N</em> = 342) perceived the body, physical activity, and nature as sacred, and how these views related to indicators of mental and physical health. The results indicated that sanctification of the body was associated with greater body appreciation and self-esteem. Sanctification of physical activity was associated with more engagement in physical activity and receiving more enjoyment from physical activity. Finally, sanctification of nature was associated with experiencing greater connectedness to nature and pursuing more nature exposure. We observed a number of moderators among these links. We discuss implications for mental health professionals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 2","pages":"Article 100566"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143900396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cognitive training and retest learning effects on theta and alpha power in older and young adults: A perspective on the crunch hypothesis and the STAC-R model","authors":"Ludmiła Zając-Lamparska ,&nbsp;Emilia Zabielska-Mendyk ,&nbsp;Dariusz Zapała ,&nbsp;Paweł Augustynowicz","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100568","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>According to the STAC-R model, scaffolding enhancement is achievable through various interventions. Indicating forms of compensatory scaffolding, the STAC-R model refers to phenomena described in other theoretical models, such as the enhanced fronto-parietal recruitment described in the CRUNCH hypothesis. The presented study investigated whether working memory training can induce compensatory scaffolding in older adults through increased prefrontal and parietal involvement (indicated by changes in theta and alpha power). The sample comprised 90 individuals, including 45 participants from the experimental (22 older and 23 young adults) and 45 from the passive control group (21 older and 24 young adults). The age range was 60–75 years for older adults and 20–35 years for young adults. We assessed the effects of a 12-session working memory training with the use of the adaptive n-back task on theta and alpha power measured in frontal midline and central-parietal areas by EEG in older and young adults during the n-back task performance at three difficulty levels. At the behavioral level, we found a positive, significant improvement in cognitive performance in young adults from experimental group. In contrast, the positive changes in older adults were too small to prove statistically significant. At the level of neuronal activity, we observed not a training effect but a retest effect. It was revealed primarily for theta oscillations in older adults and manifested by increased theta power with higher task demands and equalization of theta power of older and younger persons in the post-test. For alpha oscillations, the retest effect was negligible, and its only manifestation observed in older adults was a reduction in the dependence of alpha power on task difficulty. The study results indicate limited potential for improving WM performance in older adults compared to young adults. The presence of the retest learning effect, instead of the training effect, proved that familiarity with the task was crucial, rather than regular training of its performance. Changes observed in older adults in theta power can be considered positive, and these results are consistent with the CRUNCH hypothesis of a compensatory role for increased executive control involvement. In turn, changes in the alpha power in the same group should be considered rather maladaptive. Nevertheless, given the overall study findings, it can be concluded that although the behavioral effects of training are stronger in young adults, the changes in neuronal activity resulting from the retest learning effect are more marked in older adults.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 2","pages":"Article 100568"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143844521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical physiology of circadian rhythms: A systematic and hierarchized content analysis of circadian questionnaires","authors":"Julien Coelho ,&nbsp;Vincent P. Martin ,&nbsp;Christophe Gauld ,&nbsp;Emmanuel d'Incau ,&nbsp;Pierre-Alexis Geoffroy ,&nbsp;Patrice Bourgin ,&nbsp;Pierre Philip ,&nbsp;Jacques Taillard ,&nbsp;Jean-Arthur Micoulaud-Franchi","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100563","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100563","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Circadian rhythms are near-24 h patterns of physiology and behavior associated with several physical and mental health outcomes. Self-report questionnaires are routinely used and practical tools to assess circadian rhythms. However, the extent to which these questionnaires capture the relevant parameters and can be used interchangeably is unknown. We investigated different types of circadian manifestations using 14 circadian self-report questionnaires for adults. A systematic and hierarchical content analysis was combined with a visualization method. Jaccard indices were calculated to quantify the degree to which the questionnaires overlapped. Content analysis revealed 40 distinct manifestations, which we classified into five dimensions (“circadian phase,” “circadian amplitude and stability,” “nycthemeral timing,” “nycthemeral regularity,” and “circadian complaints\"). The average Jaccard index was 0.150, indicating very weak content overlap. None of the 14 questionnaires explored all five dimensions. The Composite Scale of Morningness and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire exhibited greater, but still limited, overlap with the other questionnaires (Jaccard indices of 0.255 and 0.251, respectively), and are the best instruments for assessing the circadian phase. Nycthemeral timing, which must be analyzed to measure the circadian misalignment in clinical and research settings, is only explored by the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, but that instrument does not evaluate circadian amplitude and stability and only partially assesses nycthemeral regularity. Based on our preliminary analysis, we make recommendations regarding the circumstances in which some circadian questionnaires could prove more useful than the others. The results might also aid the definition and investigation of circadian health at the crossroads of physiology and behavior.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 2","pages":"Article 100563"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143767972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations of psychological resilience with macro- and microstructures in NREM and REM sleep in adolescents","authors":"Chris Xie Chen ,&nbsp;Shirley Xin Li ,&nbsp;Chung Shun Ho ,&nbsp;Joey Wing Yan Chan ,&nbsp;Leo King Wai Chan ,&nbsp;Tatia Mei-Chun Lee ,&nbsp;Yun Kwok Wing ,&nbsp;Ngan Yin Chan","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100570","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100570","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Study objectives</h3><div>Previous evidence suggest that sleep contributed to resilience. However, specific sleep markers for resilience in adolescents remain unknown. This study aimed to examine the associations between macro- and microstructures of sleep with resilience in healthy adolescents. This study hypothesized that specific features of both NREM and REM sleep were associated with resilience in healthy adolescents.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Forty-two healthy adolescents (Mean age: 15.98 years, SD: 2.16 years; female: 57.1 %) were included in this study. Adolescents with any diagnosed sleep or psychiatric disorders were excluded. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed resilience capacity and outcome, childhood trauma, and mental well-being, and underwent polysomnography. Resilience capacity was defined using the score of the Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents (RSCA). Resilience outcome was calculated by the residual approach in a linear model using mental well-being (KIDSCREEN) as dependent variable and childhood trauma (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) as independent variable. NREM and REM sleep macrostructures and microstructures were calculated.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results showed that higher fast beta power (24–32 Hz) in REM sleep and longer spindle duration in NREM sleep were significantly associated with higher resilience capacity. However, slow wave sleep properties were not associated with either resilience capacity or resilience outcome. In addition, macrostructures of sleep did not differ across resilience groups.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The findings suggest that microstructures of both REM and NREM sleep could serve as biomarkers for resilience. This study could potentially pave the way for prevention and intervention strategies of stress-related disorders in adolescents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 2","pages":"Article 100570"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143900393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"aVeRsive tension: A new virtual reality paradigm to assess emotional arousal in adolescent and young adult patients with symptoms of borderline personality disorder","authors":"Sabrina Mittermeier ,&nbsp;Klara Gregorova ,&nbsp;Christopher Goettfert ,&nbsp;Christian Merz ,&nbsp;Martin Weiß ,&nbsp;Jana Krauss ,&nbsp;Sarah Franke ,&nbsp;Andrea Reiter ,&nbsp;Carolin Wienrich ,&nbsp;Arne Buerger","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100583","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100583","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>High emotional arousal (EA) is a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). While virtual reality (VR) has shown promise in treating emotion-based disorders, research on VR applications for BPD remains limited, especially in adolescence. This study aimed to validate a novel VR-based <em>aVeRsive tension</em> paradigm for assessing EA in adolescents and young adults with BPD symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In a multimodal study, we investigated the validity of aVeRsive tension: We surveyed 62 patients with BPD symptoms and 62 healthy controls (HC) aged 13–25 years who completed two VR sessions (stress/control condition). Each session included an adapted Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) followed by a cyberball paradigm. Subjective EA ratings and physiological measurements were taken during the sessions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The BPD group showed significantly higher EA levels compared to HC across both conditions. While both groups exhibited peak EA after TSST, HC demonstrated EA reduction during Cyberball in both conditions. The BPD group maintained elevated EA levels in the stress condition. Physiological data partially supported these findings, with the BPD group showing higher heart rates, particularly during Cyberball in the stress condition.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>The <em>aVeRsive tension</em> paradigm successfully discriminated between BPD and HC groups, capturing both subjective and physiological responses. The sustained EA in the BPD group during stress conditions aligns with characteristic emotion dysregulation patterns. While task-specific effects were observed, with TSST eliciting stronger responses than Cyberball, the paradigm effectively simulated real-life stressors in a controlled VR environment.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study validates the <em>aVeRsive tension</em> protocol as a promising tool for assessing EA in adolescents and young adults with BPD symptoms. The VR-based approach offers advantages in experimental control and ecological validity, showing potential for both diagnostic assessment and therapeutic intervention in clinical settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 2","pages":"Article 100583"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143905837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A qualitative examination of sanctification: Sources and varieties of appraisals of sacredness","authors":"Elizabeth J. Krumrei-Mancuso,&nbsp;Janet P. Trammell,&nbsp;Jennifer A. Harriger,&nbsp;Joshua A. Evans","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100578","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100578","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Most mental health professionals are expected to have some basic competency in religious and spiritual issues. Such competency includes knowledge about the role of religion/spirituality in people’s lives, particularly as it relates to mental health. The current research explored people’s cognitive appraisals of sanctification, by which individuals interpret stimuli to be sacred. To gain a better understanding of the spontaneous cognitive appraisals of sanctification people form during daily life, we randomly assigned religious and/or spiritual individuals (<em>N</em> = 144) to an event reconstruction of a time they experienced something as sacred, divine, miraculous, spiritual, holy, or blessed. We qualitatively coded 28 features of these event reconstructions. Participants’ most common descriptions involved sanctification of people, relationships, and places that were not considered sacred in and of themselves, but were considered sacred by association to higher powers or transcendent realities. Common features of sacredness reconstructions included emotions and sensory experiences. We also observed differences in the features associated with each sacred adjective (sacred, divine, miraculous, spiritual, holy, or blessed). We discuss implications for mental health professionals and for the advancement of the science of sanctification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 2","pages":"Article 100578"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143895514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extended childhood disorder (ECD): Proposal and preliminary empirical support for a new ecologically-based diagnostic category of teen dysfunction","authors":"Robert Epstein,&nbsp;Savannah Aries,&nbsp;Theodore T. Caligiuri,&nbsp;Camille Karner","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100572","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100572","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background/Objective</h3><div>Existing diagnostic categories of teen dysfunction often refer to hypothetical biological or developmental factors, even though teen dysfunction is often absent in many non-Western cultures. Diagnostic categories of this sort do not do justice to the social causes of many teen problems in the United States (U.S.) and other Western countries. To put more emphasis on known cultural causes of teen dysfunction, we propose adopting an ecologically-based diagnostic category we call “extended childhood disorder” (ECD), characterized by (1) excessive and sometimes harmful involvement with peers, (2) conflict centering around control issues with authority figures, and (3) mood problems centering around control issues with authority figures.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>5198 individuals were evaluated, either by themselves or by therapists, counselors, teachers, or parents: a diverse group of 3147 females, 1750 males, and 301 others, mean age 23.4. 54.3 % of the participants were from the U.S., and the remaining 46.7 % were English speakers in 74 other countries.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Total scores on a diagnostic test of ECD were negatively correlated with level of happiness and positively correlated with levels of anger, depression, and anxiety, whether reported by self or others (note that higher scores on the ECDI indicate greater dysfunction). Total scores were also predictive of 13 clinically significant criterion variables. Notably, prevalence of ECD in our sample roughly matched the 2010 National Comorbidity Survey estimates of the prevalence of teen disorders in the U.S.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The ECD diagnostic category should be considered as a viable alternative to current diagnoses of teen problems that emphasize hypothetical endemic or neural deficits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143903557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Should we worry about how we measure worry? Insights from an updated version of the Italian Penn State Worry Questionnaire","authors":"Gioia Bottesi ,&nbsp;Andrea Spoto","doi":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100579","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100579","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Research indicates a rise in self-reported worry, highlighting the need for updated psychometric tools. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) assesses excessive worry and there is debate over whether only its 11 positively worded items should be used. This study aimed to clarify the factor structure and psychometric properties of the PSWQ and to explore worry features in two diverse Italian community samples from the 2010s and 2020s.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The 2020s sample included 674 participants (44.5 % female; Mage = 29.44 ± 13.20), while the 2010s sample comprised 411 individuals (61.6 % female; Mage = 36.64 ± 13.73). Methods from Classical Test Theory (CTT) were used to compare alternative PSWQ factor structures, assess the best-fitting model’s reliability and validity, and evaluate measurement invariance (MI) across sexes in the 2020s sample. Item Response Theory (IRT) was applied to refine and confirm the best-fitting factor structure and to compare item and individual locations across samples.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The 11-item one-factor model was the best fit and it showed excellent reliability and concurrent validity. MI across sexes was supported. IRT analyses suggested that items were slightly more difficult for the 2010s sample.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The PSWQ-11 is a valid and reliable tool for assessing worry in the Italian community. The findings suggest that societal issues as well as socio-demographic characteristics may contribute shaping differences in worry features across diverse historical contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47673,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology","volume":"25 2","pages":"Article 100579"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143900397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}