A validation of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale 12-item research short-form for use during global crises with five translations

Sergio A. Silverio; Siân M. Davies; Paul Christiansen; Marta E. Aparicio-García; Alessandra Bramante; Ping Chen; Natalia Costas-Ramón; Carolina de Weerth; Anna M. Della Vedova; Lilliam Infante Gil; Hellen Lustermans; Jaqueline Wendland; Jihong Xu; Jason C.G. Halford; Joanne A. Harrold; Victoria Fallon

doi:10.1186/s12884-021-03597-9

A validation of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale 12-item research short-form for use during global crises with five translations

Sergio A. Silverio, Siân M. Davies, Paul Christiansen, Marta E. Aparicio-García, Alessandra Bramante, Ping Chen, Natalia Costas-Ramón, Carolina de Weerth, Anna M. Della Vedova, Lilliam Infante Gil, Hellen Lustermans, Jaqueline Wendland, Jihong Xu, Jason C.G. Halford, Joanne A. Harrold, Victoria Fallon

Women & Children's Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

36 Citations (Scopus)

72 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: Global crises inevitably increase levels of anxiety in postpartum populations. Effective and efficient measurement is therefore essential. This study aimed to create a 12-item research short form of the 51-item Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale [PSAS] and validate it for use in rapid response research at a time of global crises [PSAS-RSF-C]. We also present the same 12-items, in five other languages (Italian, French, Chinese, Spanish, Dutch) to increase global accessibility of a psychometric tool to assess maternal mental health. Methods: Twelve items from the PSAS were selected on the basis of a review of their factor loadings. An on-line sample of UK mothers (N = 710) of infants up to 12 weeks old completed the PSAS-RSF-C during COVID-19 ‘lockdown’. Results: Principal component analyses on a randomly split sample (n = 344) revealed four factors, identical in nature to the original PSAS, which in combination explained 75% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analyses (n = 366) demonstrated the four-factor model fit the data well. Reliability of the overall scale and of the underlying factors in both samples proved excellent. Conclusions: Findings suggest the PSAS-RSF-C may prove useful as a clinical screening tool and is the first postpartum-specific psychometric scale to be validated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This offers psychometrically sound assessment of postpartum anxiety. By increasing the accessibility of the PSAS, we aim to enable researchers the opportunity to measure maternal anxiety, rapidly, at times of global crisis.

Original language	English
Article number	112
Journal	BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Volume	21
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03597-9
Publication status	Published - 8 Feb 2021

Keywords

Anxiety
Maternal Mental Health
Psychometric Assessment
Postpartum

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10.1186/s12884-021-03597-9

Silverio et al., (2021) - PSAS-RSF-C - BMC Pregnancy and ChildbirthFinal published version, 1.18 MB

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Silverio, S. A., Davies, S. M., Christiansen, P., Aparicio-García, M. E., Bramante, A., Chen, P., Costas-Ramón, N., de Weerth, C., Della Vedova, A. M., Infante Gil, L., Lustermans, H., Wendland, J., Xu, J., Halford, J. C. G., Harrold, J. A., & Fallon, V. (2021). A validation of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale 12-item research short-form for use during global crises with five translations. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 21(1), Article 112. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03597-9

@article{2b502638f9eb4a91a178ff2b5d565c93,

title = "A validation of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale 12-item research short-form for use during global crises with five translations",

abstract = "Background: Global crises inevitably increase levels of anxiety in postpartum populations. Effective and efficient measurement is therefore essential. This study aimed to create a 12-item research short form of the 51-item Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale [PSAS] and validate it for use in rapid response research at a time of global crises [PSAS-RSF-C]. We also present the same 12-items, in five other languages (Italian, French, Chinese, Spanish, Dutch) to increase global accessibility of a psychometric tool to assess maternal mental health. Methods: Twelve items from the PSAS were selected on the basis of a review of their factor loadings. An on-line sample of UK mothers (N = 710) of infants up to 12 weeks old completed the PSAS-RSF-C during COVID-19 {\textquoteleft}lockdown{\textquoteright}. Results: Principal component analyses on a randomly split sample (n = 344) revealed four factors, identical in nature to the original PSAS, which in combination explained 75% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analyses (n = 366) demonstrated the four-factor model fit the data well. Reliability of the overall scale and of the underlying factors in both samples proved excellent. Conclusions: Findings suggest the PSAS-RSF-C may prove useful as a clinical screening tool and is the first postpartum-specific psychometric scale to be validated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This offers psychometrically sound assessment of postpartum anxiety. By increasing the accessibility of the PSAS, we aim to enable researchers the opportunity to measure maternal anxiety, rapidly, at times of global crisis.",

keywords = "Anxiety, Maternal Mental Health, Psychometric Assessment, Postpartum",

author = "Silverio, {Sergio A.} and Davies, {Si{\^a}n M.} and Paul Christiansen and Aparicio-Garc{\'i}a, {Marta E.} and Alessandra Bramante and Ping Chen and Natalia Costas-Ram{\'o}n and {de Weerth}, Carolina and {Della Vedova}, {Anna M.} and {Infante Gil}, Lilliam and Hellen Lustermans and Jaqueline Wendland and Jihong Xu and Halford, {Jason C.G.} and Harrold, {Joanne A.} and Victoria Fallon",

note = "Funding Information: We would like to extend our thanks to Ms. Philippa Davie (Institute for Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King?s College London), and Ms. Arianna Menardi (Padova Neuroscience Center, Universit? degli Studi di Padova) for their assistance with translations. Funding Information: Sergio A. Silverio (King{\textquoteright}s College London) is supported by the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South London [NIHR ARC South London] at King{\textquoteright}s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021, The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2021",

month = feb,

day = "8",

doi = "10.1186/s12884-021-03597-9",

language = "English",

volume = "21",

journal = "BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth",

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Silverio, SA , Davies, SM, Christiansen, P, Aparicio-García, ME, Bramante, A, Chen, P, Costas-Ramón, N, de Weerth, C, Della Vedova, AM, Infante Gil, L, Lustermans, H, Wendland, J, Xu, J, Halford, JCG, Harrold, JA & Fallon, V 2021, 'A validation of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale 12-item research short-form for use during global crises with five translations', BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, vol. 21, no. 1, 112. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03597-9

TY - JOUR

T1 - A validation of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale 12-item research short-form for use during global crises with five translations

AU - Silverio, Sergio A.

AU - Davies, Siân M.

AU - Christiansen, Paul

AU - Aparicio-García, Marta E.

AU - Bramante, Alessandra

AU - Chen, Ping

AU - Costas-Ramón, Natalia

AU - de Weerth, Carolina

AU - Della Vedova, Anna M.

AU - Infante Gil, Lilliam

AU - Lustermans, Hellen

AU - Wendland, Jaqueline

AU - Xu, Jihong

AU - Halford, Jason C.G.

AU - Harrold, Joanne A.

AU - Fallon, Victoria

N1 - Funding Information: We would like to extend our thanks to Ms. Philippa Davie (Institute for Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King?s College London), and Ms. Arianna Menardi (Padova Neuroscience Center, Universit? degli Studi di Padova) for their assistance with translations. Funding Information: Sergio A. Silverio (King’s College London) is supported by the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South London [NIHR ARC South London] at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2021/2/8

Y1 - 2021/2/8

N2 - Background: Global crises inevitably increase levels of anxiety in postpartum populations. Effective and efficient measurement is therefore essential. This study aimed to create a 12-item research short form of the 51-item Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale [PSAS] and validate it for use in rapid response research at a time of global crises [PSAS-RSF-C]. We also present the same 12-items, in five other languages (Italian, French, Chinese, Spanish, Dutch) to increase global accessibility of a psychometric tool to assess maternal mental health. Methods: Twelve items from the PSAS were selected on the basis of a review of their factor loadings. An on-line sample of UK mothers (N = 710) of infants up to 12 weeks old completed the PSAS-RSF-C during COVID-19 ‘lockdown’. Results: Principal component analyses on a randomly split sample (n = 344) revealed four factors, identical in nature to the original PSAS, which in combination explained 75% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analyses (n = 366) demonstrated the four-factor model fit the data well. Reliability of the overall scale and of the underlying factors in both samples proved excellent. Conclusions: Findings suggest the PSAS-RSF-C may prove useful as a clinical screening tool and is the first postpartum-specific psychometric scale to be validated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This offers psychometrically sound assessment of postpartum anxiety. By increasing the accessibility of the PSAS, we aim to enable researchers the opportunity to measure maternal anxiety, rapidly, at times of global crisis.

AB - Background: Global crises inevitably increase levels of anxiety in postpartum populations. Effective and efficient measurement is therefore essential. This study aimed to create a 12-item research short form of the 51-item Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale [PSAS] and validate it for use in rapid response research at a time of global crises [PSAS-RSF-C]. We also present the same 12-items, in five other languages (Italian, French, Chinese, Spanish, Dutch) to increase global accessibility of a psychometric tool to assess maternal mental health. Methods: Twelve items from the PSAS were selected on the basis of a review of their factor loadings. An on-line sample of UK mothers (N = 710) of infants up to 12 weeks old completed the PSAS-RSF-C during COVID-19 ‘lockdown’. Results: Principal component analyses on a randomly split sample (n = 344) revealed four factors, identical in nature to the original PSAS, which in combination explained 75% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analyses (n = 366) demonstrated the four-factor model fit the data well. Reliability of the overall scale and of the underlying factors in both samples proved excellent. Conclusions: Findings suggest the PSAS-RSF-C may prove useful as a clinical screening tool and is the first postpartum-specific psychometric scale to be validated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This offers psychometrically sound assessment of postpartum anxiety. By increasing the accessibility of the PSAS, we aim to enable researchers the opportunity to measure maternal anxiety, rapidly, at times of global crisis.

KW - Anxiety

KW - Maternal Mental Health

KW - Psychometric Assessment

KW - Postpartum

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100713215&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1186/s12884-021-03597-9

DO - 10.1186/s12884-021-03597-9

M3 - Article

SN - 1471-2393

VL - 21

JO - BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

JF - BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

IS - 1

M1 - 112

ER -

A validation of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale 12-item research short-form for use during global crises with five translations

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Keywords

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