Developing and Validating a Computerized Adaptive Test to Measure Broad and Specific Factors of Internalizing in a...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Accurate assessment of internalizing disorders (mood and anxiety) is crucial for identifying at-risk individuals.
• Existing assessments may not efficiently capture comorbidity between these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficiency and validity of a multidimensional computerized adaptive test (CAT) for internalizing psychopathology.
• To measure both broad and specific levels of internalizing disorders.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a bifactor item response theory model to calibrate items from five disorder banks (generalized anxiety, depression, OCD, panic, social anxiety).
• Conducted simulations to assess the accuracy and efficiency of the CAT algorithm.
• Validated CAT scores against established severity scales and DSM-5 diagnostic criteria.

Main Results:

• The CAT accurately estimated general internalizing and specific disorder scores using an average of 44 items, a 67% reduction from the full 133-item bank.
• CAT scores demonstrated convergent and divergent validity.
• The CAT effectively differentiated between individuals with and without DSM-5 disorders.

Conclusions:

• The CAT provides a valid and highly efficient method for assessing broad and specific internalizing psychopathology.
• This approach offers significant gains in efficiency, reducing respondent burden compared to traditional methods.