Psychometric evidence of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II): an item response theory analysis in university students from Chile.

BACKGROUND: Experiential avoidance (EA) is a psychological mechanism associated with several mental health disorders and is regarded as a relevant target by third-generation cognitive behavioral therapies. It has been mainly assessed through self-report questionnaires, and the AAQ-II is the most used tool. Its psychometric evidence has been mostly tested through the classical test theory (CTT) and very scarcely assessed through Item Response Theory (IRT). METHODS: We used the Graded Response Model to examine its psychometric properties in Spanish-speaking university students (n = 1503; women = 995 (66.2%), mean age = 19.29, SD = 2.45). We tested whether the empirical data fit the model's predictions and estimated the dispersion of persons and items along the experiential avoidance continuum. Moreover, we examined category probability curves to identify the response probability of each answer. Likewise, an item-person map was made where the measurement of persons and items, both on the same scale and along the experiential avoidance continuum, could be observed jointly. Finally, we tested the gender invariance of the scale. RESULTS: We found that the values of the individuals and the items were in the established range to be considered an adequate measure of EA. Additionally, we observed high discrimination indices for all items. The current version with seven answer options could not be optimal and should be tested in future studies. Finally, we found evidence of differential functioning by gender in one of the seven items of the instrument. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the AAQ-II is a suitable tool for measuring EA and accurately classifying and differentiating EA levels in university students.

Mental health and religiosity: the role of experiential avoidance in the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress

Several studies have considered religiosity to be a protective factor against several mental health difficulties. However, other studies suggest the opposite, that is, that religiosity is a risk factor associated with psychological symptoms. In this context, there are no studies that evaluate this relationship considering the role of experiential avoidance, which is a predictive transdiagnostic variable of various mental health disorders. This study evaluated the relationship between experiential avoidance, attitudes toward religion, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in a sample of believers using a non-experimental cross-sectional design in the city of Valdivia, Chile. Results indicate that experiential avoidance is positively related to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, being the only predictor variable of the three symptomatic dimensions. Engaging in regular religious practice was not associated with religious literalness or experiential avoidance, while religious literalism was negatively associated with stress. Finally, Evangelicals showed a more regular religious practice than Catholics, while Catholics showed a higher index of religious literality; however, these differences were not associated with mental health. The clinical implications of these results are discussed (AU)