Penn State Worry Questionnaire-11 validity in Colombia and factorial equivalence across gender and nonclinical and clinical samples

Abstract

Título: Validez del Penn State Worry Questionnaire-11 en Colombia y equivalencia factorial a través de género y muestras clínicas y no clínicas. Resumen: El Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) es la medida principal de la preocupación inespecífica que caracteriza al trastorno de ansiedad generalizada (TAG). Este estudio explora la validez del PSWQ en Colombia y su invarianza de medida entre género y participantes clínicos y no clínicos. Se utilizó la versión abreviada de 11 ítems del PSWQ propuesta por Sandín, Chorot, Valiente y Lostao (2009) porque los ítems redactados negativamente han mostrado ser problemáticos para los hispanohablantes. Adicionalmente, la investigación ha sugerido que los ítems redactados en negativa carecen de utilidad práctica. El PSWQ-11 se administró a un total de 1045 participantes, incluyendo una muestra de participantes no clínicos (N = 710) y una muestra de participantes clínicos (N = 335). La consistencia interna del PSWQ-11 a través de muestras fue excelente. El modelo de un factor mostró un ajuste aceptable a los datos. Se observó invarianza métrica y escalar a través de género y muestras clínicas y no clínicas. En conclusión, el PSWQ-11 parece ser una medida válida de la preocupación tipo TAG, mientras que los datos sobre equivalencia factorial permiten la comparación de puntuaciones a través de género y participantes clínicos y no clínicos.Abstract: The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) is the gold standard measure of the unspecific worry that characterizes generalized anxiety disorder. This study aims to explore the validity of the PSWQ in Colombia and its measurement invariance across gender and clinical and nonclinical participants. An abbreviated, 11-item version of the PSWQ by Sandín, Chorot, Valiente, and Lostao (2009) was used because the negatively worded items have shown to be problematic for Spanish speakers. Additionally, research has suggested that the negatively worded items of the PSWQ lack of practical utility. The PSWQ-11 was administered to a total of 1045 participants, including a sample of nonclinical participants (N = 710) and a sample of clinical participants (N = 335). The internal consistency of the PSWQ-11 across samples was excellent. The one-factor model showed an acceptable fit to the data. Metric and scalar invariance were observed across gender and clinical and nonclinical samples. In conclusion, the PSWQ-11 seems to be a valid measure of GAD-related worry in Colombia, whereas data on factorial equivalence data warrant the comparison of scores across gender and clinical and nonclinical samples.

Factor Structure, Measurement Invariance, and Concurrent Validity of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire Across Development, Psychopathology, and Culture

“…Present results also raise questions about the utility of the negatively worded PSWQ items. Consistent with previous research (Fresco et al, 2002;Ruiz et al, 2018), the present study demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and limited concurrent validity of the negatively worded PSWQ items across samples. Additionally, in the undergraduate sample, two of the negatively worded items demonstrated low item-total correlations.…”

A Multiple-Baseline Evaluation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Focused on Repetitive Negative Thinking for Comorbid Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression

“…Penn State Worry Questionnaire -11 [PSWQ-11;Meyer et al, 1990; Spanish version by Ruiz et al (2018b)]. The PSWQ is a measure of GAD-type worry.…”

Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance Across Gender and Age-Group of the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire–Children (PTQ-C) in Colombia

“…To translate the PSWQ-C, the guidelines described in Muñiz et al (2013) were followed. We deleted the 3 reverse-scored items because they have been shown to be difficult to understand for adult Spanish speakers when responding to the PSWQ (e.g., Ruiz, Monroy-Cifuentes, & Suárez-Falcón, 2018; Sandín, Chorot, Valiente, & Lostao, 2009). The PSWQ-C showed good psychometric properties (Cronbach’s alpha of .89) and a one-factor structure.…”