Validation of the Swedish Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (SAAQ) for parents of children with cancer

Publication date: Available online 23 August 2018Source: Journal of Contextual Behavioral ScienceAuthor(s): Jenny Thorsell Cederberg, Sandra Weineland, JoAnne Dahl, Gustaf LjungmanAbstractExperiential avoidance (EA) has been shown to constitute a generalized vulnerability for psychopathology. It is described as unwillingness to be in contact with aversive private experiences followed by behavioral responses to avoid those experiences. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II) is the most frequently used measure of EA and has been shown to correlate with a wide range of measures of mental health and long-term functional behavior. The Swedish version of the scale has previously been evaluated in a non-clinical sample but remains to be evaluated in a clinical one. A subgroup of parents of children with cancer report psychological ill-health long-term. The aim of the study was to investigate factor structure, norm values and psychometric properties of the Swedish Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (SAAQ) for parents of children with cancer. Parents of all children undergoing cancer treatment in Sweden at the time of the study were invited to participate. Factor structure was investigated and norm values, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and convergent validity were calculated. 243 parents participated. The mean of the SAAQ in the sample was 16.69 (SD 8.68; SE .56). Internal consistency (α = .92) and test-retest reliability (ICC = .86) were excellent. The SAA...
Source: Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research