Dataset Information

Development and Preliminary Validation of the Pandemic Avoidance and Concern Scales (PACS).

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to radical disruptions to the routines of individuals and families, but there are few psychometrically assessed measures for indexing behavioural responses associated with a modern pandemic. Given the likelihood of future pandemics, valid tools for assessing pandemic-related behavioral responses relevant to mental health are needed. This need may be especially salient for studies involving families, as they may experience higher levels of stress and maladjustment related to school and business closures. We therefore created the Pandemic Avoidance and Concern Scales (PACS) to assess caregivers' and youths' adjustment to COVID-19 and future pandemics. Concern and Avoidance factors derived from exploratory factor analyses were associated with measures of internalizing symptoms, as well as other indices of pandemic-related disruption. Findings suggest that the PACS is a valid tool for assessing pandemic-related beliefs and behaviors in adults and adolescents. Preliminary findings related to differential adjustment between caregivers and youths are discussed.

SUBMITTER: Daoust AR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9452862 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Development and Preliminary Validation of the Pandemic Avoidance and Concern Scales (PACS).

Daoust Andrew R AR Stanton Kasey K Vandermeer Matthew R J MRJ Liu Pan P Harkness Kate L KL Hayden Elizabeth P EP

Journal of psychopathology and behavioral assessment 20220908 4

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to radical disruptions to the routines of individuals and families, but there are few psychometrically assessed measures for indexing behavioural responses associated with a modern pandemic. Given the likelihood of future pandemics, valid tools for assessing pandemic-related behavioral responses relevant to mental health are needed. This need may be especially salient for studies involving families, as they may experience higher levels of stress and maladjustment re ...[more]

PMID: 36097551

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Project description:IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread shortages of N95 respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE). An effective, reusable, locally-manufactured respirator can mitigate this problem. We describe the development, manufacture, and preliminary testing of an open-hardware-licensed device, the "simple silicone mask" (SSM).MethodsA multidisciplinary team developed a reusable silicone half facepiece respirator over 9 prototype iterations. The manufacturing process consisted of 3D printing and silicone casting. Prototypes were assessed for comfort and breathability. Filtration was assessed by user seal checks and quantitative fit-testing according to CSA Z94.4-18.ResultsThe respirator originally included a cartridge for holding filter material; this was modified to connect to standard heat-moisture exchange (HME) filters (N95 or greater) after the cartridge showed poor filtration performance due to flow acceleration around the filter edges, which was exacerbated by high filter resistance. All 8 HME-based iterations provided an adequate seal by user seal checks and achieved a pass rate of 87.5% (N = 8) on quantitative testing, with all failures occurring in the first iteration. The overall median fit-factor was 1662 (100 = pass). Estimated unit cost for a production run of 1000 using distributed manufacturing techniques is CAD $15 in materials and 20 minutes of labor.ConclusionSmall-scale manufacturing of an effective, reusable N95 respirator during a pandemic is feasible and cost-effective. Required quantities of reusables are more predictable and less vulnerable to supply chain disruption than disposables. With further evaluation, such devices may be an alternative to disposable respirators during public health emergencies. The respirator described above is an investigational device and requires further evaluation and regulatory requirements before clinical deployment. The authors and affiliates do not endorse the use of this device at present.

Project description:BackgroundSelf-regulation refers to a person's ability to manage their cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes to achieve long-term goals. Most prior research has examined self-regulation at the individual level; however, individual-level assessments do not allow the examination of dynamic patterns of intraindividual variability in self-regulation and thus cannot aid in understanding potential malleable processes of self-regulation that may occur in response to the daily environment.ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a brief, psychometrically sound momentary self-regulation scale that can be practically administered through participants' mobile devices at a momentary level.MethodsThis study was conducted in 2 phases. In the first phase, in a sample of 522 adults collected as part of a larger self-regulation project, we examined 23 previously validated assessments of self-regulation containing 594 items in total to evaluate the underlying structure of self-regulation via exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. We then selected 20 trait-level items to be carried forward to the second phase. In the second phase, we converted each item into a momentary question and piloted the momentary items in a sample of 53 adults over 14 days. Using the results from the momentary pilot study, we explored the psychometric properties of the items and assessed their underlying structure. We then proposed a set of subscale and total score calculations.ResultsIn the first phase, the selected individual-level items appeared to measure 4 factors of self-regulation. The factors identified were perseverance, sensation seeking, emotion regulation, and mindfulness. In the second phase of the ecological momentary assessment pilot, the selected items demonstrated strong construct validity as well as predictive validity for health risk behaviors.ConclusionsOur findings provide preliminary evidence for a 12-item momentary self-regulation scale comprising 4 subscales designed to capture self-regulatory dynamics at the momentary level.

Dataset Information

Development and Preliminary Validation of the Pandemic Avoidance and Concern Scales (PACS).

Publications

Development and Preliminary Validation of the Pandemic Avoidance and Concern Scales (PACS).

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