Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicología del Principado de Asturias).
We currently publish four issues per year, which accounts for some 100 articles annually. We admit work from both the basic and applied research fields, and from all areas of Psychology, all manuscripts being anonymously reviewed prior to publication.
José P. Espada1, María T. Gonzálvez1, 2, Iván Fernández-Martínez1, Mireia Orgilés1, and Alexandra Morales1
Background: The Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) is one of the few well-established available measures designed to assess childhood depression. The objective of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties and explore the differential item functioning (DIF) of the SMFQ in a community sample of Spanish children. Gender and age differences in SMFQ scores were also analyzed. Method: The sample included 824 students aged 8-12 years (Mage = 9.64, SD = 1.2) recruited from four public and private schools in urban areas in the southeast of Spain. Results: Findings from factor analysis and Polytomous Rasch analysis supported a unidimensional interpretation of the SMFQ, thereby replicating findings across cultures and languages. The SMFQ had good reliability, and test-retest analysis indicated fair to good temporal stability. Evidence of construct validity was provided by a path diagram of the SMFQ and SDQ subscales. No age or gender differences in the SMFQ scores were observed. However, two items (3 and 11) exhibited gender-related DIF. Conclusions: The use of SMFQ sum-scores as a continuous measure of the severity of depressive symptoms can be supported. The measure shows promise as brief, reliable, valid instrument for the assessment of depressive symptoms in Spanish children.
Validación Española del Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) en Niños de 8 a 12 Años. Antecedentes: El Cuestionario Breve de Estado de Ánimo y Sentimientos (SMFQ, por sus siglas en inglés) es una de las pocas medidas bien establecidas para evaluar la depresión infantil. Este estudio evalúa las propiedades psicométricas y explora el funcionamiento diferencial de los ítems (DIF) del SMFQ en una muestra comunitaria de niños españoles. Método: La muestra incluyó 824 escolares de 8 a 12 años (Medad = 9.64, DT = 1.2) de cuatro colegios públicos y privados del sureste de España. Resultados: Los hallazgos del análisis factorial y el análisis de Rasch politómico respaldaron una interpretación unidimensional del SMFQ. El SMFQ tuvo una buena consistencia interna y el análisis test-retest indicó una estabilidad temporal de regular a buena. Se examinaron las evidencias sobre la validez de constructo mediante un diagrama de ruta de las subescalas SMFQ y SDQ, sin diferencias en el SMFQ por edad y sexo. Sin embargo, dos ítems presentaron DIF relacionada con el género. Conclusiones: Se respalda el uso de las puntuaciones sumatorias del SMFQ como una medida continua de la gravedad de los síntomas depresivos. La medida se muestra prometedora como instrumento breve, fiable y válido para la evaluación de los síntomas depresivos en niños españoles.
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https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2022.54