Validation of a measure of distress in adults with cystic fibrosis and Clinical Research Portfolio

BF Psychology

Finlay, Caroline ; Evans, Jonathan

University:University of Glasgow

Department:Institute of Health and Wellbeing

关键词: Mental health, Cystic Fibrosis, distress.;   

Others  :  http://theses.gla.ac.uk/75055/1/2019FinlayDClinPsy.pdf

来源: University of Glasgow

【 摘 要 】

Background: Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent in adults with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and can lead to numerous negative outcomes including poorer physical health and health related quality of life, reduced treatment adherence and increased healthcare costs.Currently it is recommended that all adults with CF are screened for anxiety and depression on an annual basis.However, there are concerns that these current measures do not adequately detect the range of difficulties that individuals with CF experience.Consequently, the Distress in Cystic Fibrosis Scale (DCFS) was developed to support the detection of distress specifically in an adult CF population.This study was an initial exploration of the structural and psychometric properties of the DCFS in order to support its development as an appropriate screening measure of distress in an adult CF population.Methods: 119 participants were recruited from the West of Scotland Adult Cystic Fibrosis Service (WoSACFS) through inpatient wards and out-patient clinics.Participants completed a battery of questionnaires assessing their mood, quality of life and current distress relating to CF. Psychometric properties of the DCFS were then evaluated with additional exploratory analyses evaluating the structure and practical use of the measure. Results: The results indicated a 1-component model for the DCFS and provided support for it being an appropriate measure of CF distress, with positive findings relating to internal consistency and criterion validity. However, exploratory analyses highlighted that two response categories (N/A and 0) were used inconsistently by participants particularly for those items concerning physical health symptoms. It is possible that this was due to the wording of the rating scale and instructions. Conclusions: The current study provides preliminary support for the DCFS being used as a measure of distress in an adult CF population.Potential improvements to the instructions and response scale were identified and subsequent recommendations made.Future studies should be conducted to further investigate the psychometric properties of the revised tool using a larger sample with a greater range of clinical and demographic characteristics.