Showing papers by "Erin Michelle Buchanan published in 2011"
TL;DR: This paper examined the psychometric properties for a brief, four-item form of the 20-item Purpose in Life test (PIL-SF) and found that the measure yields reliable scores, and these scores correlate significantly and as expected with other measures administered.
Abstract: This study’s purpose was to examine the psychometric properties for a brief, four-item form of the 20-item Purpose in Life test (PIL-SF). Confirmatory factor-analytic procedures were used to demonstrate how well the items (3, 4, 8, and 20) fit together. Reliability and descriptive data for the PIL-SF are provided, as well as correlations with other measures of well-being and psychological distress. Data are provided with respect to whether the four items are administered independently or within the larger parent form. The final aspect of the study evaluated whether the PIL-SF was of utility in predicting psychological distress, above and beyond other measures of meaning. This study utilized data from undergraduates (N = 298) from a medium-sized university located in the southern United States. The PIL-SF was supported via confirmatory factor analysis, the measure yields reliable scores, and these scores correlate significantly and as expected with the other measures administered. Data were similar regardless of whether items were administered independently or embedded in the 20-item PIL. Finally, hierarchical regression demonstrated that PIL-SF scores are useful in predicting psychological distress, offering a psychometric contribution beyond other measures of meaning.
165 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the impact of episodic migraines on the quality of life, functional impairment, and comorbid psychiatric disorders among college students in a cross-sectional study.
Abstract: (Headache 2011;51:581-589)
Background.— Migraine is associated with significant negative impact, including reduced quality of life, impaired functioning, and comorbid psychiatric disorders. However, the impact of migraine on university students is understudied, despite their high prevalence of migraine and psychiatric disorders and their frequent use in research studies.
Objectives.— The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the impact of migraine among college students on quality of life, functional impairment, and comorbid psychiatric symptoms.
Methods.— Three hundred and ninety-one students (76.73% female, mean age = 19.43 ± 2.80 years) completed well-validated measures of migraine and migraine-related disability, quality of life, and comorbid psychiatric symptoms. They also quantified impairment in school attendance and home functioning and reported the number of medical visits during the preceding 3 months.
Results.— One hundred and one (25.83%) met conservative screening criteria for episodic migraine; their mean score on the Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire was 9.98 ± 12.10. Compared to those not screening positive for migraine, the migraine-positive group reported reduced quality of life on 5 of 6 domains, as well as a higher frequency of missed school days (2.74 vs 1.36), impaired functioning at home (2.84 vs 1.21 days), and medical visits (1.86 vs 0.95). They also reported more symptoms of both depression and anxiety than controls, although differences in functional impairment remained after controlling for these comorbid psychiatric symptoms. These differences were highly statistically significant and corroborated by evidence of clinically significant impairment; the corresponding effect sizes were modest but non-trivial.
Conclusions.— Episodic migraine is associated with negative impact in numerous domains among university students. These findings replicate and extend those of studies on other samples and have implications for future research studies with this population.
85 citations
TL;DR: The current findings are supportive of the MLQ's utility with individuals with SMI, and this finding is considered in light of an interaction effect between Presence and Search when predicting psychological distress.
Abstract: Objectives: This study examined the psychometric properties of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) with individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) in an inpatient setting (N = 96). The 10-item MLQ comprises Presence (perceived meaning) and Search (motivation to discover meaning) scales. Design: This study focused on the reliability and validity of the MLQ, reporting a range of data, including correlations and regression (predicting scores on a measure of psychopathology, the Brief Symptom Inventory). Results: Both MLQ scales yielded reliable scores. The current sample tended to report greater Presence, whereas Search means tended to be similar to those reported in other studies. The association between Presence and the Brief Symptom Inventory was not statistically significant. As for Search, people reporting greater motivation to discover meaning tended to report greater degrees of symptoms. The Presence and Search scales correlated at r =.12, which was unexpected given that most studies note an inverse relationship. However, this finding is considered in light of an interaction effect between Presence and Search when predicting psychological distress. Conclusions: The current findings are supportive of the MLQ's utility with individuals with SMI. Limitations and directions for research are offered. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 67:1–10, 2011.
76 citations