Longitudinal measurement invariance of the Dutch Outcome Questionnaire-45 in a clinical sample

In the absence of measurement invariance across measurement occasions, change scores based on pretest-posttest measurements may be inaccurate representations of real change on the latent variable. In this study, we examined whether measurement invariance held in the Dutch version of Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ-45).

Using secondary data analysis of a sample of N = 540 Dutch outpatients, we tested the stability of the factorial structure (gamma change) and the metric and scalar invariance (beta change) across pretest and posttest measurements using a combination of factor analysis and item response theory methodology.

Results revealed a stable factorial structure from pretest to posttest and minor violations of metric invariance for two items in the Dutch OQ-45.

Even though for two items the assumption of invariance was violated, results suggest that the effects of these violations on practical change assessment using the OQ-45 were negligible.