Validity and Reliability of the Digital Functioning Assessment Short Test (D-FAST) in the Brazilian Sample

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychosocial Functioning
• Digital Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted daily life and social interactions.
• The Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST) is an established scale for assessing functioning.
• No prior studies validated the FAST in a digital format.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the psychometric properties of the digital FAST.
• To assess the impact of COVID-19 and restrictions on functioning.
• To validate a digital tool for assessing psychosocial functioning.

Main Methods:

• An online survey collected data from a community sample.
• Confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha assessed reliability and validity.
• Cluster analysis identified distinct groups based on psychosocial functioning.

Main Results:

• The digital FAST maintained the original six-factor structure.
• Cronbach's alpha exceeded 0.9, indicating high reliability.
• Three distinct clusters of psychosocial functioning were identified, supporting construct validity.

Conclusions:

• The digital FAST is a user-friendly, multidimensional assessment tool usable without an interviewer.
• Findings illuminate the psychosocial impact of the pandemic.
• The study supports the development of targeted interventions for affected populations.