"Life" beyond classical test theory: some considerations on using complementary psychometric approaches in sleep medicine

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Gerontological social workers’ perspectives about the future at the start of a COVID-19 vaccination program: A photovoice study

Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic is a continuing public health crisis, although it has lessened in its intensity since the start of worldwide vaccination programs. In aged care facilities, gerontological social workers have become frontline professionals facing multiple challenges and demands. One year after the first COVID-19 case in Portugal, during the second major lockdown in the country, and with vaccination starting in these facilities, a photovoice program to identify the experiences of these professionals was developed. This study aimed to understand how gerontological social workers foresee the future of practice and intervention with older adults. A thematic analysis was conducted based on the photographs and associated narratives from 10 participants, all female, aged between 22 and 35 years, who attended a program’s session. Findings: Three themes were identified with the thematic analysis: (1) personal and professional growth (with renewed life perspectives and increased resilience), (2) reinvention of intervention (with improved management of emotions, teamwork, and alternative ways of intervening), and (3) hope to use the lessons learned (hope that vaccination will bring conditions to recover the older adults’ well-being and opportunities to use the good les- sons learned). Applications: These findings are relevant to inform policymakers and governments about practices in aged care facilities and to improve the training of gerontological social workers in acute action management and intervention. We stress alternative ways of inter- vening that came up in the response to the pandemic such as emotional management, digital technology, communication strategies, self-care, or the families’ involvement.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estudo das qualidades psicométricas da Glasgow Sleep Effort Scale (GSES) através da TCT, TRI e análise de redes

The Glasgow Sleep Effort Scale (GSES) was developed with the aim of measuring sleep effort. The present study evaluates the psychometric properties of the European Portuguese version of the GSES through Classical Test Theory (CTT), Item Response Theory (IRT), and Network Analysis (NA). It was used an existing database comprising a community sample of 227 Portuguese adults, aged 20–74 (M = 42.99; SD = 12.44) years old, encopassing 49.8% men and 50.2% women. In CFA, a well-adjusted to data one-factor model was identified, with sleep effort as the single factor. IRT analysis indicated an adequate performance of all items and satisfactory coverage of the latent trait, with items 3 (a = 3.37), 4 (a = 3 .18), and 6 (a = 3.02) as the most discriminative ones. Considering NA, items 4 and 7 presented the strongest edge weight (.48). Item 1 was displayed at the centre of the networks and accounted for the largest number of connections with the remaining items. The results suggest that the GSES is a reliable measure, comprising highly discriminative items with good centrality indices. Moreover, the measure is particularly important in the evaluation of individuals with moderate to severe levels of sleep effort. We underline the application of more contemporary psychometric techniques (IRT and NA) beyond CTT in the emergent sophistication of measures with the integration of approaches. Specifically, this study builds upon the evidence regarding the development of shorter, yet reliable and valid measures in the sleep medicine area to face the overloading of patients with extensive research protocols and clinical evaluations.A Glasgow Sleep Effort Scale (GSES) foi desenvolvida com o objetivo de medir o esforço para dormir. O presente estudo visa avaliar as propriedades psicométricas da sua versão em Português Europeu através da Teoria Clássica dos Testes (TCT), Análise da Teoria da Resposta ao Item (TRI) e Análise de Redes (AR). Para tal, foi usada uma base de dados existente, composta por uma amostra comunitária de 227 adultos Portugueses, com idades entre os 20 e os 74 (M = 42.99; DP = 12.44) anos, compreendendo 49.8% homens e 50.2% mulheres. Na AFC, um modelo de um fator bem ajustado aos dados foi identificado, com o esforço para dormir como o único fator. A análise TRI indicou um desempenho adequado de todos os itens com uma cobertura satisfatória do traço latente, em que os itens item 3 (a = 3.37), 4 (a = 3.18) e 6 (a = 3.02) foram os mais discriminativos. Tendo em conta a AR, os itens 4 e 7 apresentaram a maior edge weight (.48) em 21 correlações positivas. O item 1 foi posicionado no centro da rede e contou com o maior número de conexões com os restantes itens. Os resultados sugerem que a GSES é um exemplo de uma medida fidedigna, com itens muito discriminativos e com bons índices de centralidade. Além disso, a medida é particularmente importante na avaliação de indivíduos com níveis moderados a severos de esforço para dormir. Sublinha-se, assim, a aplicação de técnicas psicométricas mais contemporâneas (TRI e AR) para além da TCT na sofisticação emergente de medidas com a integração destas abordagens. Especificamente, este estudo contribui para a evidência no desenvolvimento de medidas mais curtas, fidedignas e válidas para colmatar a sobrecarga dos pacientes com protocolos de pesquisa e avaliações clínicas extensivas.Mestrado em Psicologia da Saúde e Reabilitação Neuropsicológic