Factor Structure of the Parent-Report Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) in an Outpatient Mental Health Sample.

The current investigation examined the internal structure and discriminant validity of the parent-report Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ-P), a commonly used measure of depressive symptoms in youth. A total of 1493 families with youth ages 5 to 18 (61.02 % male) presenting for treatment at an outpatient mental health clinic were randomly allocated to an Exploratory Sample 1 or to a Replication Sample 2. Internal structure of the MFQ-P was examined using exploratory factor analysis in Sample 1 (N = 769) and then replicated using confirmatory factor analysis in Sample 2 (N = 724). Results of the exploratory factor analysis yielded a 5-factor structure comprised of core mood, vegetative, suicidality, cognitive, and agitated distress symptom subscales. The 5-factor solution was replicated in Sample 2 with adequate fit, (CFI = 0.908, TLI = 0.974, RMSEA =0.067). Results lend statistical support for 5 candidate subscales of the MFQ-P. These potential subscales may aid in efficient identification of critical symptoms of depression.

Parent and youth report of youth anxiety: evidence for measurement invariance.

BACKGROUND: We characterized parent-youth disagreement in their report on the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and examined the equivalence of this measure across parent and youth report. METHODS: A clinically referred sample of 408 parent-youth dyads (M age youth = 14.33, SD = 1.89; 53.7% male; 50.0% Non-Hispanic White (NHW), 14.0% Hispanic, 29.7% African-American) completed the SCARED. We examined (a) differences between parents and youth in the total number of symptoms reported (difference scores) and in their ratings of specific symptoms (q correlations), (b) demographic factors associated with these indices, and (c) equivalence of the pattern and magnitude of factor loadings (i.e., configural and metric invariance), as well as item thresholds and residual variances, across informants. RESULTS: The mean difference score was -2.13 (SD = 14.44), with youth reporting higher levels of symptoms, and the mean q correlation was .32 (SD = .24). Difference scores were greater for African-American dyads than NHW pairs. We found complete configural, metric, and residual invariance, and partial threshold invariance. Differences in thresholds did not appear to reflect systematic differences between parent and youth report. Findings were comparable when analyses were conducted separately for NHW and ethnic minority families. CONCLUSION: Findings provide further evidence for the importance of considering youth report when evaluating anxiety in African-American families. The SCARED was invariant across informant reports, suggesting that it is appropriate to compare mean scores for these raters and that variability in parent and youth report is not attributable to their rating different constructs or using different thresholds to determine when symptoms are present.

Family accommodation in pediatric anxiety disorders.

BACKGROUND: Family accommodation has been studied in obsessive compulsive disorder using the Family Accommodation Scale (FAS) and predicts greater symptom severity, more impairment, and poorer treatment outcomes. However, family accommodation has yet to be systematically studied among families of children with other anxiety disorders. We developed the Family Accommodation Scale-Anxiety (FASA) that includes modified questions from the FAS to study accommodation across childhood anxiety disorders. The objectives of this study were to report on the first study of family accommodation across childhood anxiety disorders and to test the utility of the FASA for assessing the phenomenon. METHODS: Participants were parents (n = 75) of anxious children from two anxiety disorder specialty clinics (n = 50) and a general outpatient clinic (n = 25). Measures included FASA, structured diagnostic interviews, and measures of anxiety and depression. RESULTS: Accommodation was highly prevalent across all anxiety disorders and particularly associated with separation anxiety. Most parents reported participation in symptoms and modification of family routines as well as distress resulting from accommodation and undesirable consequences of not accommodating. The FASA displayed good internal consistency and convergent and divergent validity. Accommodation correlated significantly with anxious but not depressive symptoms, when controlling for the association between anxiety and depression. Factor analysis of the FASA pointed to a two-factor solution; one relating to modifications, the other to participation in symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Accommodation is common across childhood anxiety disorders and associated with severity of anxiety symptoms. The FASA shows promise as a means of assessing family accommodation in childhood anxiety disorders.