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- Hlynsson, Jón Ingi, et al.
(författare)
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Diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility of the PHQ-2 and GAD-2 : a comparison with long-format measures for depression and anxiety
- 2024
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - 1664-1078. ; 15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent and often comorbid mental disorders that are encompassed within the broad category of emotional disorders. The frequent comorbidity of anxiety and depression can pose challenges for accurate diagnosis and treatment which, in turn, highlights the need for reliable measurements that are simultaneously responsive to change and prevent non-response bias. Brief measures of anxiety and depression can potentially increase response rates due to their brevity and ease of administration. This study evaluates the psychometric characteristics, discriminative accuracy, and sensitivity to change of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item scale (GAD-2) and the Patient Health Questionnaire 2-item scale (PHQ-2) within a clinical population.Method: The sample comprised treatment-seeking participants (n = 3,411), screened (n = 2,477) to receive an internet-based psychotherapeutic intervention (cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, or waitlist).Results: Brief measures can effectively detect individuals who may be eligible for a diagnosis of depression and anxiety, not only prior to but also during and following the completion of psychological treatment. The discriminative ability of the GAD-2 was significantly greater during active treatment and at post-assessment compared with pre-treatment screening, although no such differences were found for the PHQ-2. Finally, endorsing the most severe response option on the GAD-2 and PHQ-2 was associated with a high probability of presenting with clinically relevant anxiety and depressive symptoms.Conclusion: Brief measures of anxiety and depression are viable instruments to screen for and monitor anxiety and depressive symptoms.
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| 2. |
- Hlynsson, Jón Ingi, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring cutoff points and measurement invariance of the Brunnsviken brief quality of life inventory
- 2024
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - 1664-1078. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Quality of life (QoL) can be defined as the goodness of life, beyond simply absence of disease or functional impairments, self-rating scales of which capture valuable information beyond change in primary outcomes. This study (n = 3,384) validated the Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life Inventory (BBQ) across divergent groups by evaluating its measurement invariance (MI). We hypothesized measurement invariance for the BBQ across age groups, genders, depression, and anxiety severity. Potential cutoff points for the BBQ were also explored.Method: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models were fit to sample data obtained from an ongoing study on transdiagnostic internet-based treatment modules. Parameters were successively constrained to assess configural, metric, scalar, and residual invariance factor structures across different groups.Results: The BBQ demonstrated MI at the metric level and partial MI at the scalar level across all these groups, which remained stable at the strict-residual level for all groups except for genders. These results remained stable after correcting for unbalanced group sizes for gender, clinical–subclinical levels of depression, and clinical–subclinical levels of anxiety. A cutoff point analysis revealed that a BBQ total scores below 39 was associated with notable psychopathology.Discussion: The BBQ is a reliable measure of QoL that is applicable for various divergent groups (e.g., vulnerable persons), and thus a viable instrument for use in healthcare and research with minimal aversive impact.Clinical trial registration: NCT05016843.
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| 3. |
- Hlynsson, Jón Ingi, et al.
(författare)
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Let's talk about digital mental health assessment : Utilizing PHQ-2 and GAD-2 for in-treatmentmonitoring & BBQ and QWB for outcome evaluation in internet interventions
- 2024
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Ingår i: SweSRII 2024. ; , s. 14-14
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: In internet-based mental health research, the efficacy of assessment tools is pivotal. Extensive questionnaires often deter participant completion, undermining data integrity. This presentation focuses on the application of brief yet effective measures: The PHQ-2 and GAD-2 as ultra-brief measures for psychopathology, and Brunnsviken brief quality of life inventory (BBQ) and Questionnaire on Well-Being (QWB) as positively valanced measures for positive functioning. By prioritizing instruments with concise formats and positive framing, such as the BBQ and QWB, our research aims to enhance response rates and data quality. We explore psychometric findings from various internet-based trials, demonstrating the utility of these measures in capturing in-treatment fluctuations and informing treatment outcomes. METHOD: We outline findings from three studies at different stages of development. Primary statistics are obtained from ROC curve and factor analyses. RESULTS: Preliminary results suggest that brief measures like the PHQ-2 and GAD-2 can monitor in-treatment fluctuations in symptoms as effectively as their full-scale equivalents. The BBQ, indicating positive functioning, can validly assess divergent subgroups (e.g., vulnerable persons). Notably, BBQ total scores below 39 are linked with significant psychopathology. Preliminary results for the QWB indicate total scores are negatively associated with psychopathology and positively correlated with positive affect. CONCLUSIONS: Ultra-brief measures of psychopathology are too often used incorrectly; usage is recommended to be bound to in-treatment monitoring of treatment outcomes. Collecting data more frequently through concise surveys can provide insights into the mechanisms driving change. Treatment trials often overlook positive functioning. Thus, we encourage using the BBQ and QWB as they are psychometrically valid, freely available, and inform treatment outcomes beyond standard measures of psychopathology.
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| 4. |
- Hlynsson, Jón Ingi, et al.
(författare)
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Uncertainty breeds anxiety and depression : The impact of the Russian invasion in Ukraine on a Swedish clinical population receiving internet-based psychotherapy
- 2024
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Ingår i: Clinical Psychology in Europe. - 2625-3410. ; 6:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Recent global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, have contributed to a rise in the global prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders. This study examines the indirect impact of the Ukraine war on emotional disorders within a Swedish clinical population. Method: The sample comprised participants (n = 1,222) actively engaged in an internet-based psychotherapeutic intervention (cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and waitlist) when the war broke out. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale were used to measure depression and anxiety. Results: Anxiety and depressive symptom severity increased following the war's onset, with an average weekly increase of 0.77-points for anxiety (p = .001, Cohen's d = 0.08) and 0.09-points for depression (p = .70, Cohen's d = 0.01); however, the increase was negligible for depression. Furthermore, higher socioeconomic status (SES) predicted declines in depression and anxiety during the study period, with a 0.69-point average weekly decrease in anxiety (p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.32) and a 1.09-point decrease in depression (p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.48) per one unit increase in SES, suggesting that SES may serve as a protective factor that buffers against psychopathological development during crises. Conclusions: These findings have implications for mitigating the development of psychopathology during crises and interpreting treatment efficacy estimates during such events. Our findings also emphasize the potential of internet-based psychotherapy in addressing emotional disorders during crises. This study presents up-to-date information about the reaction of treatment-seeking individuals to abrupt uncertainty.
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