Article

OBJECTIVE: To assess the internal consistency, validity and factor structure of a
revised version of the Visual Analog Mood Scales (VAMS-R) in healthy older adults
and aphasic stroke patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty
healthy older people and 71 aphasic stroke patients. SETTING: Community and
hospital. MEASURES: The healthy participants were asked to complete the Hospital
Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the VAMS-R. The aphasic stroke patients
completed the VAMS-R and Visual Analogue Self Esteem Scale (VASES) and the Stroke
Aphasic Depression Questionnaire 21 (SADQH-21) was completed by a nurse or carer.
RESULTS: The internal consistency of the scale was high (healthy adults alpha
0.74, aphasic stroke patients alpha 0.80). The VAMS-R correlated significantly
with the HADS in healthy participants (HADS Anxiety r (s) = 0.59, P < 0.001, HADS
Depression r (s) = 0.49, P = 0.001) and the VASES (r (s) = -0.69, P < 0.001) and
SADQH-21 (r (s) = 0.43, P = 0.001) in stroke patients. Exploratory factor
analysis identified three factors in the scale: negative mood states, energy
levels and happiness. The three factors accounted 73% of the variance in healthy
participants and 70% of the variance in aphasic stroke patients. CONCLUSIONS: The
VAMS-R showed better psychometric properties than the original VAMS. Reversing
the happy and energetic items improved the ability of the scale to assess mood states.
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Langue : ANGLAIS