Validation of the French Translation of the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire

Abstract

Background: The goal of the present study was to validate the French version of the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire (ACQ). Methods: Subjects consisted of 115 patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia, 54 obsessive-compulsive patients and 72 normal controls. Patients were referred for outpatient treatment. They filled in the questionnaire before and after entering treatment. The control group consisted of people taken from the general population. It was matched with the clinical groups on age, sex and education. Results: The ACQ appears to have a constant factor structure across US, Dutch and French samples. Results support the validity of the total score of the ACQ. Patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia scored significantly higher than obsessive-compulsive patients and control subjects. On the ACQ physical concerns subscale agoraphobic patients were significantly different from obsessive-compulsive patients and control subjects. On the social/behavioural subscale agoraphobic patients and obsessive-compulsive patients were significantly different from control subjects. The French translation of the ACQ was found to be stable over an interval of 15 days in the control group. The Cronbach coefficients of both subscales were also satisfactory. These results support the stability and the internal consistency of the questionnaire. In addition, the French translation of the ACQ was sensitive to changes with cognitive-behavioural therapy. Conclusions: These results support the findings of Chambless and Gracely [Cogn Ther Res 1989;13:9–20]. The ACQ physical concerns subscale is a specific feature for the anxiety status experienced by patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia. The ACQ social/behavioural subscale seems to be a more general feature of anxious patients.

Physical, Mental, and Social Catastrophic Cognitions as Prognostic Factors in Cognitive-Behavioral and Pharmacological Treatments for Panic Disorder.

“…Given that this large proportion of variance was parceled out prior to testing the predictive value of the postacute treatment cognitive variables, it is easy to understand why social catastrophe cognitions did not emerge as a significant predictor. Prior research (e.g., Bouvard et al, 1998;Chambless & Gracely, 1989) has indicated that thoughts of physical catastrophes are the only type of cognitions capable of discriminating panic disorder from other anxiety disorders. This implies that physical catastrophe cognitions are more central to the development of panic disorder as distinguished from other anxiety disorders.…”

Relationship of cognitions to fear of somatic symptoms: A test of the cognitive theory of panic

“…In previous analyses of agoraphobics' responses to the ACQ alone, a loss of control factor has emerged [Arrindell, 1993a;Bouvard et al, 1998;Chambless et al, 1984]. When agoraphobic patients' data on the combined items of the ACQ and BSQ in the present study are examined, loss of control again emerges as a coherent factor, with the addition of the fear of disorientation item from the BSQ.…”

“…In prior research on the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire, Chambless et al [1984] demonstrated two clear factors: thoughts about impending loss of control and thoughts about physical malady resulting from anxiety. Arrindell [1993a] and Bouvard et al [1998] have replicated these findings. In a factor analysis of a different measure, the Agoraphobic Cognitions Scale, Hoffart et al [1992] obtained three factors.…”

“…The total ACQ is internally consistent (alpha = 0.80) and reliable over a 1 month interval (test-retest r = 0.86). Construct validity analyses have been positive [e.g., Arrindell, 1993a,b;Bouvard et al, 1998;Chambless et al, 1984;Chambless and Gracely, 1989;Craske et al, 1986;Ehlers and Margraf, 1993].…”

Psychometric Properties of the Catastrophic Cognitions Questionnaire-Modified (CCQ-Modified) Among Community Samples in Malaysia

“…The internal consistency was good for BAI‐Malay (α = .91) (Mukhtar & Zulkefly, ), PAS (α = .86) (Bandelow, ), FQ (α = range .71–.86) (Lee & Oei, ; Oei, Moylan, & Evans, ), and ACQ (α = .80) (Chambless et al, ). All measures were found to have an acceptable concurrent validity (Bandelow, ; Marks & Mathews, ; Mukhtar & Zulkefly, ) and discriminant validity (Bandelow et al, ; Bouvard et al, ; Marks & Mathews, ; Oei et al, ).…”