Construct Validity of the Dutch Version of the 12-Item Partners in Health Scale: Measuring Patient Self-Management Behaviour and Knowledge in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Objective: The 12-item Partners in Health scale (PIH) was developed in Australia to measure self-management behaviour and knowledge in patients with chronic diseases, and has undergone several changes. Our aim was to assess the construct validity and reliability of the latest PIH version in Dutch COPD patients.

Methods: The 12 items of the PIH, scored on a self-rated 9-point Likert scale, are used to calculate total and subscale scores (knowledge; coping; recognition and management of symptoms; and adherence to treatment).

The COPD-SIB: a newly developed disease-specific item bank to measure health-related quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is widely used as an outcome measure in the evaluation of treatment interventions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In order to address challenges associated with existing fixed-length measures (e.g.

Using the Three-Step Test Interview to understand how patients perceive the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire for COPD patients (SGRQ-C).

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the experiences of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) while they were completing the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire for COPD patients (SGRQ-C), using qualitative research methods.

Methods: Twenty Dutch COPD patients were recruited through pulmonary physicians [13 women; mean age = 63.

Identifying key domains of health-related quality of life for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: interviews with healthcare professionals.

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to identify which domains of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are most important for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), from the perspective of healthcare professionals (HCPs).

Methods: Thirteen Dutch HCPs [six pulmonologists, three pulmonology nurse practitioners, two physiotherapists and two general practitioners; 9 men; mean age 51.0 (SD = 10.

Identifying key domains of health-related quality of life for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the patient perspective.

Background: Numerous instruments are available to measure health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), covering a wide array of domains ranging from symptoms such as dyspnea, cough and wheezing, to social and emotional functioning. Currently no information or guide is available yet to aid the selection of domains for a particular study or disease population. The aim of this paper is to identify which domains of HRQoL are most important with respect to COPD, from the patient perspective.

The Link between Peer Relations, Prosocial Behavior, and ODD/ADHD Symptoms in 7-9-Year-Old Children.

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are characterized by symptoms that hinder successful positive interaction with peers. The main goal of this study was to examine if the presence of symptoms of ODD and ADHD affects the relationship between positive social behavior and peer status found in 7-9-year-old children who show symptoms typical of ADHD and/or ODD. Furthermore, the possible interaction with sex was investigated.

The St George's Respiratory Questionnaire revisited: a psychometric evaluation.

Purpose: The St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) has clearly acquired the status of legacy questionnaire for measuring health-related quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The main aim of this study was to assess the underlying dimensionality of the SGRQ and to investigate the added value of the empirical weights used to calculate total scores.

Methods: The official Dutch translation of the SGRQ was completed by 444 COPD patients participating in two clinical studies.

Psychiatric characteristics in transsexual individuals: multicentre study in four European countries.

Background: Research into the relationship between gender identity disorder and psychiatric problems has shown contradictory results.

Aims: To investigate psychiatric problems in adults fulfilling DSM-IV-TR criteria for a diagnosis of gender identity disorder.

Method: Data were collected within the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview - Plus and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders (n = 305).

Using multidimensional modeling to combine self-report symptoms with clinical judgment of schizotypy.

This study investigated psychometric properties of two widely used instruments to measure subclinical levels of psychosis, the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) and the Structured Interview for Schizotypy-Revised (SIS-R), and aimed to enhance measurements through the use of multidimensional measurement models. Data were collected in 747 siblings of schizophrenia patients and 341 healthy controls. Multidimensional Item-Response Theory, Mokken Scale and ordinal factor analyses were performed.

Intake of own mother's milk during the first days of life is associated with decreased morbidity and mortality in very low birth weight infants during the first 60 days of life.

Background: The incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and possibly also of sepsis is lower in preterm infants fed their own mother's milk (hereafter 'mother's milk') compared with formula-fed infants. It is unclear whether this is caused by the protective properties of breast milk or by the absence of cow's milk. Especially in early life, mother's milk is often unavailable to preterm infants, while minimal enteral nutrition is initiated immediately.

Rumination and age: some things get better.

Rumination has been defined as a mode of responding to distress that involves passively focusing one's attention on symptoms of distress without taking action. This dysfunctional response style intensifies depressed mood, impairs interpersonal problem solving, and leads to more pessimistic future perspectives and less social support. As most of these results were obtained from younger people, it remains unclear how age affects ruminative thinking.

Why the factorial structure of the SCL-90-R is unstable: comparing patient groups with different levels of psychological distress using Mokken Scale Analysis.

Since its introduction, there has been a debate about the validity of the factorial structure of the SCL-90-R. In this study we investigate whether the lack of agreement with respect to the dimensionality can be partly explained by important variables that might differ between samples such as level of psychological distress, the variance of the SCL-90-R scores and sex. Three samples were included: a sample of severely psychiatrically disturbed patients (n=3078), a sample of persons with Gender Incongruence (GI; n=410) and a sample of depressed patients (n=223).

A study of the dimensionality and measurement precision of the SCL-90-R using item response theory.

We used item response theory (IRT) to (a) investigate the dimensionality of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) in a severely disturbed patient group, (b) improve the subscales in a meaningful way and (c) investigate the measurement precision of the improved scales. The total sample comprised 3078 patients (72% women, mean age=35±9) admitted to 14 different day hospitals participating in the Norwegian Network of Personality-focused Treatment Programmes. Mokken Scale Analysis was used to investigate the dimensionality of the SCL-90-R and improve the subscales.

Assessing the utility of diagnostic criteria: a multisite study on gender identity disorder.

Introduction: Studies involving patients with gender identity disorder (GID) are inconsistent with regard to outcomes and often difficult to compare because of the vague descriptions of the diagnostic process. A multisite study is needed to scrutinize the utility and generality of different aspects of the diagnostic criteria for GID.

Aim: To investigate the way in which the diagnosis-specific Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision criteria for GID were used to reach a psychiatric diagnosis in four European countries: the Netherlands (Amsterdam), Norway (Oslo), Germany (Hamburg), and Belgium (Ghent).

Sex-based differences in answering strategy and the influence of cross-sex hormones.

We investigated whether sex differences in answering strategy occur in normal controls (C). Furthermore, it was tested whether these sex differences were subject to change over time, and whether they were associated with hormonal treatment at time points 2 and 3 in patients with Gender Identity Disorder (GID). Two subtests measuring arithmetic ability were used: arithmetic aptitude (AA) and arithmetic operations (AO).