Development of an instrument to assess the mental health of university students: validation of the Outcome Questionnaire-45 in a Hungarian sample

The Outcome Questionnaire is a self-report questionnaire developed mainly for treatment impact assessment and monitoring of status change because it can measure the cross-sectional condition very accurately by being sensitive to small changes. The present study aimed to psychometrically evaluate and validate the instrument on a sample of Hungarian university students. 7,695 higher education students (28.6% male, 68.8% female, 1% other, M = 23.7, SD = 6.78) participated in the study and completed a questionnaire package (OQ-45, Beck Depression Inventory, WHO Well-being Questionnaire-5, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, MOS-Social Support Survey, Maslach Burnout Inventory-SS) online, developed to measure general and more specific mental health conditions. The Hungarian version of the questionnaire has a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.951). Based on the confirmatory factor analysis, the original three-factor version of the instrument (due to inadequate fit indicators) did not gain support in our sample. Five subscales were identified and subjected to content analysis in the exploratory factor analysis. Our final questionnaire consists of 39 items. The full scale and the subscales show a high correlation with other questionnaires measuring similar constructs. The psychometric indicators of the questionnaire are adequate and, therefore, considered reliable. The separation of the five factors was confirmed by construct and convergent validation. The questionnaire's psychometric properties may be worth testing in the future on a clinical sample and a sample of adults from a wider age range. The use of the measurement tool has important implications in research areas beyond therapeutic impact assessment, as it may offer a bridging solution to the methodological problems encountered in the construction of complex questionnaire packages consisting of several instruments. International findings suggest that some items in the questionnaire are particularly sensitive to cultural context, so it is crucial to use a measure adapted to the region of the study sample. Other strengths of the questionnaire include its ability to address subclinical and clinical symptoms in one dimension and provide a comprehensive cross-sectional picture of the bio-psycho-social status of individuals, which allows systematic monitoring of a large and heterogeneous population (higher education students).

Classification of gastrointestinal symptom patterns in young adults

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to identify common gastrointestinal (GI) symptom groups using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System - GI symptom scales (PROMIS-GI) within a large sample of young adults. An attempt was made to relate the emergent groups to the Rome IV disorders of gut-brain interaction symptom domains. The PROMIS-GI is a freely available, adaptable, normatively referenced symptom measurement system that is applicable to many health assessment situations.

METHODS

Participants were 956 introductory psychology students between the ages of 18 and 25 who completed the PROMIS-GI as part of ongoing research monitoring physical and psychological health of students at a major southeastern university. GI symptom groups were determined using a latent class analysis (LCA) approach. These GI symptom groups were then compared on key psychosocial factors including self-reported mood, anxiety, and health related quality of life (HRQoL) using MANOVA.

RESULTS

Three groups were identified based on GI symptom elevations: Normal (n = 649), Mild (n = 257), and Moderate (n = 50). Self-reported anxiety, depression, and bodily pain levels were significantly higher in the Mild and Moderate GI symptom groups, and they indicated significantly lower work functioning, and general health ratings compared to participants in the normal group.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately a third of young adults surveyed were experiencing at least one GI symptom of a severity greater than normative levels. Both the Mild and Moderate GI groups demonstrated a similar configuration of symptoms with significantly the higher levels of pain, gas/bloating, and nausea/vomiting compared to the Normal group. The configuration of symptoms did not map discretely onto the Rome IV diagnostic categories for Bowel Disorders, such as IBS with predominant Diarrhea or Functional Constipation as might be expected. Rather, the emergent groups suggest that Bowel Disorders occur on a continuum of severity across multiple symptom areas. Mild to moderate GI symptoms appear to emerge at much earlier ages and are more frequent than previously documented. It is recommended that health service providers evaluate individual patterns of "GI health" when young adults present with anxiety and depression, and conversely, they should assess anxiety and depression when they present with GI complaints.

Depression, Depression Literacy, and Sociodemographic Characteristics of Korean Americans: A Preliminary Investigation

Despite the rapid growth in the number of Korean Americans (KAs) and the alarmingly high prevalence of depression in this population, relatively little is known about the impact of depression literacy on KAs' depression. This study investigated the prevalence of depressive symptoms among a community-based sample of KA adults; the associations among socio-demographic characteristics, depression literacy, and depressive symptoms; and predictors related to depressive symptoms. A sample of 600 KAs completed depression and depression literacy scales, as well as socio-demographic questionnaires. Data analyses were conducted to assess the association between depressive symptoms, depression literacy, and the covariates. Forty-five percent of participants showed elevated depressive symptoms. Marital status, attained educational level, perceived mental health, and depression literacy were significant predictors of depressive symptoms. Given the high prevalence of depressive symptoms in this population, future research should investigate the causal relationships of various predictors of depression and depression literacy, which will facilitate the development of culturally-appropriate interventions and policies concerning mental health for KAs, and early mental health screening for them.

"Having friends is like having marshmallows": Perspectives of transition-aged youths with intellectual and developmental disabilities on friendship

BACKGROUND

The literature emphasizes that friendships are essential to youths' successful transition to and adjustment in adulthood. Few studies have explored the friendships of transition-aged youths with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and even fewer include youths' own perspectives. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of transition-aged youths with IDD regarding their own experiences of friendship.

METHOD

A subset of video-recorded data of 21 interviews with seven participants (20-24 years) was extracted from a larger study for secondary analysis. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, informed by constructivist grounded theory methods.

RESULTS

Three themes were revealed: meanings of friends and friendship, deepening self-knowledge and negotiating in(ter)dependence.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings expand existing knowledge about friendships of transition-aged youths with IDD. Findings can potentially inform development of new services or enhancement of existing services aimed at facilitating transition to adulthood for youths with IDD and point to key areas for future research.