The Dutch Claustrophobia Questionnaire: psychometric properties and predictive validity.
Fear of suffocation and fear of restriction are thought to underlie claustrophobia and can be assessed with the Claustrophobia Questionnaire (CLQ; Radomsky et al., 2001). A first study tested the psychometric properties of a Dutch version of the CLQ. Students (N=363) completed a Dutch translation of the CLQ and a set of other questionnaires assessing other specific fears, anxiety or depression. Results confirmed the two-factor structure and showed that the Dutch version of the CLQ has good psychometric properties. A second study tested the predictive validity of the Dutch CLQ. Participants (N=23) were exposed each to nine claustrophobic situations with elements of suffocation, restriction or both. The Dutch CLQ was found to be a significant predictor of fear and respiratory reactivity during claustrophobic exposure. It can be concluded that the Dutch version of the CLQ is a reliable and valid instrument to assess claustrophobic fear.
Van Diest
Ilse
I
Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Ilse.VanDiest@psy.kuleuven.be
Smits
Dirk
D
Decremer
Davina
D
Maes
Lori
L
Claes
Laurence
L
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult