The Reliability of the Chinese Version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Version 11, in Abstinent, Opioid-Dependent Participants in Taiwan.

The reliability of the Chinese version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11, in abstinent, opioid-dependent participants in Taiwan.

J Chin Med Assoc. 2013 May; 76(5): 289-295
Huang CY, Li CS, Fang SC, Wu CS, Liao DL

BACKGROUND: The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) is one of the most commonly used self-report measures of trait impulsivity. However, the reliability of this measure among individuals who abuse substances has not yet been well examined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of this measure in abstinent, opioid-dependent participants. METHODS: The opioid-dependent participants were all male inmates recruited from two official correction agencies located in northern Taiwan, from October 2006 to September 2007; of these participants, the retest group completed a second assessment after 1 month. The internal consistency reliability of the BIS version 11 (BIS-11) was assessed by calculating the Cronbach ? coefficient. Test-retest reliability was assessed based on intraclass correlation coefficients. Factor validity was examined using principal component analysis. Internal consistency and factor validity of the BIS-11 were investigated in a sample of 153 participants, and test-retest reliability was analyzed in 67 participants. RESULTS: A three-factor structure of BIS-11 representing psychological constructs similar to those originally identified in other translations of the BIS-11 was found. The Cronbach ? coefficient for this instrument was 0.83, indicating high internal consistency, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.66, indicating good test-retest reliability. The BIS-11 had highest reliability among participants without a criminal history. The test-retest reliability was still satisfactory among participants with a lower education level or alcohol dependence. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the Chinese version of the BIS-11 is a reliable measure and has potential utility for investigating impulsivity in opioid-dependent individuals. HubMed – addiction

The importance of measuring impulsiveness in patients with addiction problems.

J Chin Med Assoc. 2013 May; 76(5): 241-242
Huang KL, Tsai SJ

HubMed – addiction

Home visitation program for detecting, evaluating and treating socially withdrawn youth in Korea.

Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2013 May; 67(4): 193-202
Lee YS, Lee JY, Choi TY, Choi JT

AIM: The problems of youth social withdrawal (or hikikomori) became a hot-button social issue in Japan in the 1990s. Unfortunately, current nosology in the DSM-IV may not adequately capture the concept of socially withdrawn youth (SWY) or hikikomori. This study aimed to investigate core SWY issues, evaluate SWY’s psychopathologies, and approach them therapeutically through a home visitation program. METHODS: Participants were 65 youth referred by community mental health centers and psychiatric clinics around Seoul and Kyongki-Do province. Among them, only 41 participants (31 male, 10 female, mean age 15?±?3.6 years) fit our SWY criteria. In addition, 248 middle and high school students in Seoul were recruited as a baseline control group. Caseworkers interviewed the SWY participants and their parents in their homes, using our structured interview manual and a number of psychiatric scales. Caseworkers also approached the participants therapeutically. RESULTS: Participants’ Depression Inventory, Trait Anxiety Inventory, Social Anxiety Scale, and Internet Addiction Scale scores were significantly higher than those of baseline controls. Participants’ mean number of psychotherapeutic sessions was 2.8, and the mean number of parental interview sessions was 3.4. After the therapeutic sessions, Global Assessment Functioning scores and social activities had improved somewhat in 68.3% of participants. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that SWY is a complex phenomenon, so an individual psychopathologic process is very important for treatment. The most difficult problem in SWY treatment was therapeutic access. Hence, the home visit approach with a structured manual may be a good gateway for solving this problem. HubMed – addiction