The performance of the IES-R for Latinos and non-Latinos: Assessing measurement invariance

Abstract

Violent acts on university campuses are becoming more frequent. Enrollment rates of Latinos at universities is increasing. Research has indicated that youths are more susceptible to trauma, particularly Latinos. Thus, it is imperative to evaluate the validity of commonly used posttraumatic stress measures among Latino college students. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) is one of the most commonly used metrics of posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology. However, it is largely unknown if the IES-R is measuring the same construct across different sub-samples (e.g. Latino versus non-Latino). The current study aimed to assess measurement invariance for the IES-R between Latino and non-Latino participants. A total of 545 participants completed the IES-R. One- and three-factor scoring solutions were compared using confirmatory factor analyses. Measurement invariance was then evaluated by estimating several multiple-group confirmatory factor analytic models. Four models with an increasing degree of invariance across groups were compared. A significant χ2 difference test was used to indicate a significant change in model fit between nested models within the measurement invariance testing process. The three-factor scoring solution could not be used for the measurement invariance process because the subscale correlations were too high for estimation (rs 0.92–1.00). Therefore, the one-factor model was used for the invariance testing process. Invariance was met for each level of invariance: configural, metric, scalar, and strict. All measurement invariance testing results indicated that the one-factor solution for the IES-R was equivalent for the Latino and non-Latino participants.

Fragile heroes. The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health-care workers in Italy

“…Items are rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 0 ("not at all") to 4 ("extremely"). The IES-R yields a total score ranging from 0 to 88, with scores of 33 or higher reflect probable PTSD [55]. Within this sample, Cronbach's α was 0.92 for the total scale, 0.85 for the intrusive thoughts, 0.80 for the hyperarousal, and 0.76 for the avoidance subscales.…”

Psychological Effects and Associated Factors of COVID-19 in a Mexican Sample

“…The total IES-R score was used to perform the inferential statistics, whereas for descriptive statistics, the total IES-R score was divided into normal (0-23), mild (24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32), moderate (33)(34)(35)(36), and severe psychological distress (>37). 22 The mental health status was assessed by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). This scale has been used previously in research related to outbreaks as H1N1, 23 SARS, 24 and recently, in COVID-19 outbreak in china (20).…”

“…Questions 1,6,8,11,12,14, and 18 formed the stress subscale. The total stress subscale score was divided into normal (0-10), mild stress (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18), moderate stress (19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26), severe stress (27-34), and extremely severe stress (35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42). 20…”

<p>Psychological Distress and Signs of Post-Traumatic Stress in Response to the COVID-19 Health Emergency in a Mexican Sample</p>

“…We applied the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), which evaluates the emotional distress that accompanies an inherently stressful occurrence, such as violence, abuse, or natural disasters. 9 The IES-R reports three factors to characterize the emotional distress of an event: intrusive thoughts (8 items), avoidance (8 items), and hyperarousal (6 items). Given that these factors are symptoms central to PTSD, the revised scale determined cut-off points to suggest the presence of clinically significant PTSD, which is a total score of 35 or more.…”

“…Concerning sociodemographic characteristics, being female, younger, and single were significant factors. Studies in China have not found differences according to 343 (17) 188 (9) 1531 (74)…”