Sickness Questionnaire: A two-factor instrument reflecting physical and mental symptoms in the Chinese context

Exploring the applicability of a multifactor mindfulness scale in the Chinese college context

The development of a precise and comprehensive mindfulness measurement tool is a compelling area of research due to its lack at present. This study examines the utility of a multifactor mindfulness scale, particularly the Chinese version of the Comprehensive Inventory of Mindfulness Experiences (CHIME), among Chinese college students. Prior to formal testing, 410 subjects completed the CHIME-37, providing feedback for refinement. During formal assessment, 1,785 subjects participated, with 490 students retested after 2 months. The validity of the CHIME-37 was evaluated using various scales, including subjective well-being, psychological well-being, peace of mind, self-reflection, insight, emotion regulation, depression-anxiety-stress, and sickness questionnaire. In exploratory factor analysis of Sample 1 (n = 838), CHIME revealed 8 factors, explaining 70.696% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis in Sample 2 (n = 947) confirmed the 8-factor model's validity. Internal consistency coefficients ranged from 0.848 to 0.914, with test-retest reliabilities ranging from 0.746 to 0.885, and split-half reliabilities ranging from 0.795 to 0.898. Total and dimension scores correlated positively with subjective well-being, psychological well-being, emotion stability, and cognitive reappraisal (p < 0.01) but negatively with physical and mental illnesses, depression-anxiety-stress, and expressive inhibition (p < 0.01). The revised CHIME demonstrates robust reliability and validity, establishing it as a suitable tool for measuring the mindfulness levels of Chinese college students.

Assessing sickness behavior in the French: Validation of the French translation of the sickness questionnaire (SicknessQ) in a non-clinical French population

The Sickness Questionnaire (SicknessQ) is a questionnaire developed to assess symptoms of sickness behavior, including somatic, behavioral, and affective dimensions. To promote cross-cultural assessments of sickness behavior, we aim to expand the use of this questionnaire to other populations and languages. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the French translation of SicknessQ in a French-speaking general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred and thirty-nine individuals completed the SicknessQ online, along with the construct criteria measures of self-rated health, state anxiety (STAI-S), and depressive symptoms (PHQ-9). The principal component analyses revealed two components: the first component included seven items concerning mood, motivation and experiences of fatigue and pain; the second component included three items concerning somatic sickness symptoms. Higher scores on the total scale and the two component subscales were associated with poorer self-rated health and higher STAI-S and PHQ-9 scores. Since the associations with construct criteria variables were relatively similar between the single- and the two-dimensional solutions, both the total scale and the subscales of the two components of the French SicknessQ can be used in future studies to measure sickness behavior in French-speaking populations.

Evaluating the construct validity and internal consistency of the Sickness Questionnaire in a Swedish sample of adults with longstanding pain

OBJECTIVES

Low-grade inflammation is a possible contributing factor in the development and persistence of chronic primary pain syndromes. Related to inflammatory activity is sickness behavior, a set of behavioral responses including increased pain sensitivity, fatigue, malaise, fever, loss of appetite, as well as depressive behavior and anhedonia. To capture these behavioral responses and their relation to longstanding pain, psychometrically sound self-report questionnaires are needed. The Sickness Questionnaire (SicknessQ) was developed to assess self-reported sickness behavior based on studies on acute immune activation while maintaining relevance for persistent conditions. The aim of the current study was to evaluate aspects of the validity and reliability of the SicknessQ in a Swedish sample of persons with longstanding pain.

METHODS

Aspects of construct validity were evaluated by means of performing a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (testing structural validity) and by relevant hypothesis testing i.e., that ratings of sickness behavior in combination with other related factors (e.g., depression and anxiety) would be significantly related to ratings of avoidance. Reliability was evaluated by means of analyzing the internal consistency of items.

RESULTS

Following the CFA, a non-significant Chi-Square test (χ2 [32, N=190] = 42.95, p=0.094) indicated perfect model fit. Also, the relative fit indices supported adequate model fit (CFI = 0.978; TLI = 0.969; RMSEA = 0.0430). Sickness behavior (p<0.0001), depression (p<0.05) and pain duration (p<0.05) significantly contributed to the regression model, explaining 45% of the total variance in avoidance. Internal consistency was adequate, as indicated by a Cronbach's α value of 0.82 for the entire questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS

Results indicate that the SicknessQ has adequate structural validity as well as adequate internal consistency, and is significantly associated with avoidance. The SicknessQ appears to have utility as a self-report questionnaire to assess symptoms of sickness behavior for adults with longstanding pain.