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Exercise addiction is a morbid-compulsive behavioral pattern characterized by a loss of control over exercise and which results in major detrimental consequences in the affected individual's life. Although the condition is not formally recognized in official psychiatric texts, exercise addiction can lead to clinical impairment of everyday activities just like other more traditional addictions. This has led to the development of many instruments to assess exercise addiction. One of the most widely used instruments is the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI) which has been translated into a number of languages and has separate versions of the scale for adults and adolescents (i.e., the EAI-Y for youth). However, there are currently no Persian versions. Therefore, the present study translated the EAI into Persian and assessed its psychometric properties using Rasch analysis among both Iranian adults (n = 745, age range = 19–30 years, 60.53% female) and Iranian adolescents (n = 562, age range = 13–18 years, 62.45% female). An online survey was used to collect data from September to November 2021. Confirmatory factor analyses and the Rasch analyses confirmed the unidimensional structure of the EAIs and good reliability using the Omega coefficient (.71 to.72). Also, separation reliability on item, scale, and person-level was established, along with supported measurement invariance, demonstrating that EAI can discriminate individuals on a high or low level of exercise addiction independent of their age and gender. Overall, the Persian EAI demonstrated sound psychometrics in screening for exercise addiction among Iranian adults and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) assesses the fear of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and has been translated and validated into over 20 languages. The present study conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and item response theory (IRT) analyses on the FCV-19S among a sample of 937 Pakistani adults (mean [SD] age of 25.83 [11.80] years; 537 [57.3%] females). The CFA and IRT confirmed the unidimensionality of the FCV-19S. The Likert-type scale used in the FCV-19S was supported by the proper threshold orderings. Additionally, no DIF contrast had an absolute value larger than 0.5 regarding the participants' characteristics of gender, age, living status, and education in the IRT findings. The FCV-19S was found to be valid and reliable with strong psychometric properties among the Pakistani adult population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has many individuals around the world fearing for their lives. The constant news coverage, rapid transmission, and relatively high mortality rate, make fearfulness a natural response. To assess the fear of COVID-19, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) was developed. The primary aim of the present study was to conduct the first psychometric assessment and validation of the English version of the FCV-19S. Two samples were collected in New Zealand. Sample 1 comprised 1624 participants of which 1397 completed all questions and were used in the analyses. Sample 2 comprised 1111 participants of which 1023 completed all questions and were used in the analyses. Several psychometric tests were conducted to ascertain the scale's reliability and validity. Across both samples, the FCV-19S had high internal consistency. Consistent with the earlier validation studies, the FCV-19S displayed a moderately strong relationship with the perceived infectability and germ aversion subscales of the perceived vulnerability to disease scale (PVDS). Furthermore, FCV-19S scores were negatively correlated with the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) scores. With respect to the motivating role of fear, there was a significant relationship between FCV-19S scores and adherence to the lockdown rules that were implemented in New Zealand. Finally, consistent with recent reports on the politicization of the COVID-19 pandemic, an exploratory question found that participants who rated themselves as more conservative tended to report lower FCV-19S scores. The English version of the COVID-19S is a sound unidimensional scale with robust psychometric properties and can be used with confidence among English-speaking populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently developed Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) is a seven-item uni-dimensional scale that assesses the severity of fears of COVID-19. Given the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh, we aimed to translate and validate the FCV-19S in Bangla. The forward-backward translation method was used to translate the English version of the questionnaire into Bangla. The reliability and validity properties of the Bangla FCV-19S were rigorously psychometrically evaluated (utilizing both confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis) in relation to socio-demographic variables, national lockdown variables, and response to the Bangla Health Patient Questionnaire. The sample comprised 8550 Bangladeshi participants. The Cronbach α value for the Bangla FCV-19S was 0.871 indicating very good internal reliability. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the uni-dimensional factor structure of the FCV-19S fitted well with the data. The FCV-19S was significantly correlated with the nine-item Bangla Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-90) (r = 0.406, p < 0.001). FCV-19S scores were significantly associated with higher worries concerning lockdown. Measurement invariance of the FCV-19S showed no differences with respect to age or gender. The Bangla version of FCV-19S is a valid and reliable tool with robust psychometric properties which will be useful for researchers carrying out studies among the Bangla speaking population in assessing the psychological impact of fear from COVID-19 infection during this pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dear Editor, The emergence and development of the COVID-19 pandemic is having a toll on the mental health of the general population, and healthcare workers around the world, often manifested in depression, fear, stress, trauma, and anxiety (Ahorsu et al. [1]; Mamun and Ullah [10]; Lee et al, [9]). We searched PubMed using the keywords "COVID-19" or "SARS-CoV-2" or "Coronavirus disease" and "Fear Scale" or "FCV-19S" or "Fear of COVID-19 Scale" till 30 August 2020. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) is a 7-item scale that assesses the severity of COVID-19-related fear (Ahorsu et al. [1]). [Extracted from the article]

Background: The emergence of the COVID-19 and its consequences has led to fears, worries, and anxiety among individuals worldwide. The present study developed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) to complement the clinical efforts in preventing the spread and treating of COVID-19 cases. Methods: The sample comprised 717 Iranian participants. The items of the FCV-19S were constructed based on extensive review of existing scales on fears, expert evaluations, and participant interviews. Several psychometric tests were conducted to ascertain its reliability and validity properties. Results: After panel review and corrected item-total correlation testing, seven items with acceptable corrected item-total correlation (0.47 to 0.56) were retained and further confirmed by significant and strong factor loadings (0.66 to 0.74). Also, other properties evaluated using both classical test theory and Rasch model were satisfactory on the seven-item scale. More specifically, reliability values such as internal consistency (α =.82) and test–retest reliability (ICC =.72) were acceptable. Concurrent validity was supported by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (with depression, r = 0.425 and anxiety, r = 0.511) and the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Scale (with perceived infectability, r = 0.483 and germ aversion, r = 0.459). Conclusion: The Fear of COVID-19 Scale, a seven-item scale, has robust psychometric properties. It is reliable and valid in assessing fear of COVID-19 among the general population and will also be useful in allaying COVID-19 fears among individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A paper reporting the psychometric properties of the Spanish Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) among Colombian physicians was recently published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. Although we welcome the translation and validation of our seven-item scale, this commentary outlines some major concerns we have with the study especially the removal of two items in developing a five-item FCV-19S. Based on these concerns, we strongly recommend that healthcare providers and researchers should use the five-item FCV-19S with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fear of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) may result in psychological health problems among different populations. Moreover, believing COVID-19 information and preventive COVID-19 infection behaviors are relevant constructs associated with fear of COVID-19. Therefore, the present study validated three instruments assessing fear, beliefs, and preventive behaviors related to COVID-19 among individuals with mental illness. Moreover, relationships between the three constructs were examined. Individuals with mental illness (N = 400; 178 females; mean age = 46.91 years) completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), Believing COVID-19 Information Scale (BCIS), Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Scale (PCIBS), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The FCV-19S, BCIS, and PCIBS demonstrated a single-factor structure with satisfactory fit indices. Moreover, believing COVID-19 information positively and significantly associated with fear of COVID-19, and fear of COVID-19 negatively and significantly associated with preventive behaviors and positively and significantly associated with psychological distress. The FCV-19S, BCIS, and PCIBS may assist healthcare providers in assessing COVID-19-related information among individuals with mental illness. Consequently, relevant programs may be designed to help individuals with mental illness going through the period of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present cross-sectional study examined the actor-partner interdependence effect of fear of COVID-19 among Iranian pregnant women and their husbands and its association with their mental health and preventive behaviours during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A total of 290 pregnant women and their husbands (N = 580) were randomly selected from a list of pregnant women in the Iranian Integrated Health System and were invited to respond to psychometric scales assessing fear of COVID-19, depression, anxiety, suicidal intention, mental quality of life, and COVID-19 preventive behaviours. The findings demonstrated significant dyadic relationships between husbands and their pregnant wives' fear of COVID-19, mental health, and preventive behaviours. Pregnant wives' actor effect of fear of COVID-19 was significantly associated with depression, suicidal intention, mental quality of life, and COVID-19 preventive behaviours but not anxiety. Moreover, a husband actor effect of fear of COVID-19 was significantly associated with depression, anxiety, suicidal intention, mental quality of life, and COVID-19 preventive behaviours. Additionally, there were significant partner effects observed for both the pregnant wives and their husbands concerning all outcomes. The present study used a cross-sectional design and so is unable to determine the mechanism or causal ordering of the effects. Also, the data are mainly based on self-reported measures which have some limitations due to its potential for social desirability and recall biases. Based on the findings, couples may benefit from psychoeducation that focuses on the effect of mental health problems on pregnant women and the foetus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the high stress and unfriendly environment caused by imprisonment, prisoners are at risk of developing insomnia. It is important to understand potential intervention (in this case, mindfulness) in improving insomnia for this population. The present study investigated whether dispositional mindfulness can be beneficial in helping relieve insomnia among Iranian prisoners. It also investigated whether psychological distress and perceived stress are potential mediators. Male prisoners (N = 208) aged 39.08 years (SD = 7.85) completed questionnaires and reported their demographic information and mindfulness (at baseline); psychological distress and sleep quality (at 1 month after baseline assessment); sleep quality and insomnia (at 3 months after baseline assessment). The mediation models using 10,000 bootstrapping resamples showed that sleep quality and insomnia significantly improved when mindfulness increased. Moreover, psychological distress and stress partially mediated the aforementioned association between dispositional mindfulness and sleep quality/insomnia. Using mindfulness to improve sleep quality/insomnia may be a promising psychological intervention for prisoners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More specifically, Taylor et al. ([17]) developed the COVID Stress Scales (CSS) and we developed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S; Ahorsu et al. [1]). In short, there are benefits of both unidimensional and multidimensional instruments for COVID-19 (e.g., the FCV-19S [Ahorsu et al. [1]] and the CSS [Taylor et al. [17]]). To conclude, we believe that both the CSS and FCV-19S are potential useful instruments that can be used by healthcare providers to help understand the psychological responses such as fear and anxiety of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Extracted from the article]

There are at least eight COVID-19 suicide cases in Bangladesh (seven reported here and one previously reported by Mamun and Griffiths [18]) and all but one was due to the economic-related issues. Cases The first published case study of COVID-19-related suicide in Bangladesh raised the possibility of further suicides (Mamun and Griffiths [18]). First COVID-19 suicide case in Bangladesh due to fear of COVID-19 and xenophobia: Possible suicide prevention strategies. The incidence and mortality of the coronavirus-2019 disease (COVID-19) have increased dramatically around the world. [Extracted from the article]

The psychometric properties of the Generalized Trust Scale (GTS) are well established. Furthermore, previous studies have found that the GTS is positively associated with better mental health and lower distress, and the literature finds that trust is good for mental health. However, current literature does not have any psychometric evidence concerning the Persian GTS. This study translated the GTS into Persian and validated its psychometric properties. After translating the GTS into Persian using robust and standardized translation procedure, 1200 Iranians (mean age = 34.83 years; 583 [48.6%] males) completed the GTS, along with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Short Form-12 (SF-12), and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Short Form (OHQ-SF). The factor structure of Persian GTS was confirmed by a unidimensional model with a method factor (comparative fit index = 0.998; Tucker-Lewis index = 0.992). The unidimensional model was also supported by Rasch analysis (mean square = 0.75 to 1.31). Other properties of the Persian GTS were satisfactory. More specifically, test-retest reliability was good (intraclass correlational coefficient = 0.865), internal consistency was good (α = 0.881), and concurrent validity was supported (standardized β = − 0.086 with depression in the HADS [p = 0.045]; = − 0.162 with anxiety in the HADS [p < 0.001]; = 0.077 with mental component score in the SF-12 [p = 0.044]; = 0.624 with OHQ-SF [p < 0.001]). The six-item Persian GTS has promising psychometric properties and can be an effective measure to assess trust among Iranians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The average variance extracted (AVE) and composite reliability (CR) were then corrected as follows: AVE value was marginal (AVE = 0.49) and CR value was above the acceptable threshold level (CR = 0.87). B Correction to: Int J Ment Health Addiction b https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00289-x While carrying out some pooled analyses on various datasets concerning the psychometric properties of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S; Ahorsu et al. [1]), we found some errors reported in the original publication of the Bangla version (Sakib et al. [3]). [Extracted from the article]

Selfitis—which started off as a hoax but has now been investigated empirically—has been defined as the obsessive–compulsive desire to take photos of oneself and post them on social media. Furthermore, a scale to assess selfitis, the Selfitis Behavior Scale (SBS), has been developed. This study applied advanced psychometric testing methods, including confirmatory factor analysis (utilizing classical test theory) and the Rasch model (utilizing modern test theory), to examine the psychometric properties among Persian speakers (in Iran and Afghanistan). The participants (3163 Iranians and 1100 Afghanistani) completed an online survey posted on Instagram pages. The SBS showed promising properties, including satisfactory reliability (e.g., internal consistency and test–retest reliability), excellent construct validity (e.g., good fit in the CFA and Rasch models), and acceptable measurement invariance across Iranian and Afghan samples. Consequently, the SBS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing selfitis among Persian-speaking samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS) can be used in screening for the risk of smartphone addiction. This study aimed to validate a Persian version of the SABAS using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Rasch analysis, and latent class analysis (LCA). In a sample of 3807 Iranian adolescents, CFAs were used to confirm the factor structure of SABAS, Rasch models were used to examine the unidimensionality of SABAS, and LCAs were used to classify the adolescents in terms of application preferences and smartphone application-based addiction. The unidimensional structure of SABAS was supported by CFA and Rasch model. LCA classified the sample into three subgroups (i.e., low, medium, high) in terms of risk of smartphone addiction. This study showed the unidimensionality of the Persian SABAS with robust psychometric properties. It can be used by healthcare providers in screening for risk of addiction to smartphone applications and provide early intervention if necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological advances have created the environment for Internet addiction (IA). A specific form of IA is social media addiction. Moreover, social media addiction may be further classified into general or specific social media addiction, with YouTube addiction among the latter because YouTube is viewed as a video streaming application. The present study aimed to design an instrument assessing YouTube addiction (named as the YouTube Addiction Scale, YAS) for psychometric testing. Guided by the component model of addiction, the YAS included six items corresponding to salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse. Through an online survey, the first sample (N = 530; 50.6% female) completed the YAS together with other measures assessing general social media addiction, psychological distress, and demographic information. Afterward, a second sample (N = 512; 45.5% female) completed the YAS in another period of time. The YAS was found to be unidimensional with strong factor loadings in both exploratory factor analysis (the first sample) and confirmatory factor analysis (the second sample). Internal consistency of the YAS was acceptable for both samples. Using the first sample’s data, Rasch models suggested that the six items in the YAS all fit well in the embedded construct of YouTube addiction. No differential item functioning was displayed for all YAS items across age, gender, and weekly time spent using YouTube. Network analysis results showed that the YAS items grouped together and had a clear distance from all items assessing general social media addiction. In addition, participants with higher levels of YouTube addiction had significantly greater general social media addiction, psychological distress, and time spent on YouTube. The YAS has promising psychometric properties for healthcare providers and researchers to assess individuals’ YouTube addiction levels. Future studies should examine the extent to which with the use of YAS, healthcare providers may monitor the severity of individuals’ YouTube addiction and provide early intervention, if needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to use a novel method (i.e., network analysis) to examine if the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF) has its unidimensional structure supported across different subgroups, including gender groups, continent groups, and age groups. Participants from five continents (n = 545 in Africa; n = 27,910 in Americas; n = 4640 in Asia; n = 88,835 in Europe; and n = 1633 in Oceania) completed the IGDS9-SF. The IGDS9-SF items showed a positively correlated network with moderate-to-high predictability (mean of R2 = 0.338, SD = 0.068). Moreover, the network analysis results suggested that the IGDS9-SF is very likely to have a one-factor model. This one-factor model was further found to be invariant across gender groups (men vs. women), continent groups (Africa, Americas, Asian, Europe, and Oceania), and age groups (minor aged under 18 years, young adults aged between 18 and 30 years, and adults aged 30 years or above). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Assessment of Criteria for Specific Internet-use Disorder (ACSID-11) is a psychometric instrument assessing different types of problematic internet use. The aim of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties of the traditional Chinese version and evaluate whether the traditional Chinese version showed similar and robust psychometric evidence to that of original ACSID-11 using a German sample. The present study was longitudinal and comprised 1257 university students in the first study and 409 university students in the follow-up study. Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s ω were used for testing internal consistency of the ACSID-11. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine construct validity. Multi-group CFA was performed to assess the invariance of the factor structure across region and sex. Moreover, Pearson correlations were conducted to examine the test–retest reliability and concurrent validity of ACSID-11. The results suggested satisfactory levels of test–retest reliability, internal consistency, and validity of the ACSID-11. The four-factor structure of the ACSID-11 was replicated and confirmed in both Taiwan and Hong Kong samples. The study findings demonstrated that the traditional Chinese version of the ACSID-11 is reliable and valid for assessing and distinguishing specific internet-use disorders and is applicable across regions and sexes among emerging adults in Taiwan and Hong Kong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularity and advancement of smartphones generate a new phenomenon of smartphone addiction. To promote early identification of individuals at risk of smartphone addiction, healthcare providers could assess if an individual has nomophobia (i.e., anxiety and worry of having no smartphone at hand). The present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) across four countries: China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Iran. Via cross-sectional design and convenience sampling, 7871 participants (5969 Chinese, 534 Bangladeshi, 666 Pakistani, and 702 Iranian) completed the NMP-Q. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and network analysis were used to examine the psychometric properties of the NMP-Q across the four countries. CFA identified a four-factor structure (Tucker-Lewis index = 0.934, comparative fit index = 0.943, standardized root mean square residual = 0.037, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.079) for the NMP-Q, and the four-factor structure was measurement invariant across genders and countries. Network analysis results supported the CFA findings via visualized correlations among the NMP-Q items. The four-factor structure of the NMP-Q was consistently found in the four countries of China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Iran, indicating that the NMP-Q includes four specific domains. Measurement invariance suggests the NMP-Q may effectively assess nomophobia across genders and countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]