A Psychometric Evaluation of a Measure for Evaluating Youth’s and their Parent’s Worries about Psychosocial Treatment

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Initial examination of treatment worries suggest they may represent an important construct; however, previously used measures were limited by their specificity, scale format, and lack of parent report. Therefore the present study sought to examine the initial outcomes and psychometrics of newly developed corresponding measures of treatment worries in youth (Treatment Worries Questionnaire – Child; TWQ-C) and their parents (Treatment Worries Questionnaire – Parent; TWQ-P). METHODS: Participants were 94 youth (7-17-years old) and parent dyads presenting for psychosocial treatment of an anxiety disorder. Prior to initiation of treatment, dyads completed the TWQ-C and TWQ-P along with a host of additional child and parent report measures, and three clinician-rated measures. RESULTS: Treatment worries were endorsed in the mild-moderate range by youth and the TWQ-C demonstrated good-excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability, a strong three-factor structure, and consistent convergent and divergent relationships. Treatment worries were endorsed in the low mild range by parents and the TWQ-P demonstrated fair-good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, a less empirically, but theoretically, supported four-factor structure, and consistent divergent relationships, but variable (by factor) convergent relationships. DISCUSSION: The results of the present study provide information on the concept of treatment worries and support the use of the TWQ-C and TWQ-P as broad assessments of the concept in a variety of populations. Low endorsement of worries among parents likely relates to the nature of the present sample (treatment-seeking) and may have contributed significantly to the less ideal psychometrics of the TWQ-P in comparison to the TWQ-C. Future investigation of treatment worries using the TWQ-C and TWQ-P in a variety of samples is warranted