title: Confirmatory factor analysis of the stagnation scale--a traditional Chinese medicine construct operationalized for mental health practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traditional Chinese medicine stagnation ("yu") syndrome is characterized by a cluster of mind/body obstruction-like symptoms. Previous studies have operationalized the concept as a psychological construct through scale development, producing a three-factor 16-item inventory with good psychometric properties.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed to further validate the Stagnation Scale by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and examine self-appraisal of stagnation as an illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted on a random community sample of 755 adults recruited by cluster sampling in Hong Kong.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CFA revealed a good fit of the three-factor model (CFI = .95; RMSEA = .077; SRMR = .043). ROC analysis suggested a cutoff score at 50 on stagnation total score for predicting self-appraisal of an illness condition, with false positive and negative rates at 25.8% and 23.3%, respectively. Overall, 6.2% participants self-appraised to suffer stagnation symptoms to a degree of an illness, and for it, 1.9% participants intended to seek treatment. Stagnation showed positive correlations with physical distress, depression, and anxiety (r = .59-.76, p < .01) and negative correlation with age (r = -.22, p < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Stagnation Scale appeared to be robust in factorial and construct validity. With prevalence of illness by self-appraisal at 6.2% and intention for treatment at 1.9%, stagnation is a fairly common condition associated with treatment-seeking behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work & Social Administration and Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Siu-Man
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Ted Chun Tat
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.forename: Xiao-Lu
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D012372:ROC Curve; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires