ABSTRACT
The current study examined a new measure of squalor associated with hoarding, the Home Environment Index (HEI). Participants (N = 793) were recruited from a large database of individuals who sought information about hoarding following national media appearances and consented to an internet study. Participants completed measures of hoarding and related psychopathology, including the HEI. The HEI showed good internal consistency and construct validity and reflected a single factor of home squalor (15 items). The HEI correlated positively with measures of hoarding and mood psychopathology. Recommendations for future modifications and further study are provided.
Subject(s)
Hoarding/classification , Household Work/classification , Housing , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Databases, Factual , Female , Hoarding/psychology , Humans , Internet , Male , Middle Aged , Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/diagnosis , Patient Acuity , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Psychometrics , Self Report , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Given their applicability in diverse settings and for a wide range of purposes, the generalizability of self-report symptom measures is particularly important. An understudied factor in the development and validation of self-report measures is the degree to which they are difficult to comprehend. This study evaluated the difficulty of self-report measures of anxiety with respect to several domains, including formatting, length, and linguistic problems. METHODS: Ninety-two evidence based measures of anxiety were evaluated for comprehension level. RESULTS: The majority of anxiety measures included challenging elements of formatting, linguistic ability, and readability. Measures of obsessive-compulsive disorder were associated with the highest level of comprehension (i.e., greatest difficulty). CONCLUSIONS: The validity of self-report measures relies on the ability of respondents to understand the instructions and measure items. Factors related to the comprehension of self-report measures should be included among the basic psychometric properties in measure development and validation. Future research on the development of self-report measures that can be more broadly applicable across levels of education and literacy are of particular importance to research, clinical, and public health agendas.
