title: The Postpartum Worry Scale-Revised: continuing validation with a sample of NICU mothers.
abstract: This study represents the second validation phase of the Postpartum Worry Scale-Revised (PWS-R). As the PWS-R includes items tapping infant health and development concerns, we compare its psychometric properties with a sample of NICU mothers and the online sample used in the initial validation. We conduct a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to fit the latent factor structure previously validated with the online sample to the NICU sample. We also examine the reliability and construct validity of the PWS-R when used with a NICU sample. The PWS-R's reliability remains good and moderate concurrent correlations with theoretically similar constructs are shown with the newly created PWS-R factors. Model testing with the NICU sample reveals a different three factor structure than the four factor structure previously revealed with the online sample. The psychometric findings for the PWS-R provide continuing support for its use as a measure of postpartum worry; however, the differences in factor structure suggest that the PWS-R scores of high risk samples such as NICU parents should not be compared to those of community samples. Next steps in the iterative validation process and recommendations for use are considered, particularly with regard to high-risk samples.
authors.affiliation: Erikson Institute, 451 N. LaSalle St, Chicago, IL, 60654, USA. tmoran@erikson.edu.
authors.forename: Tracy E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.affiliation: Peabody Research Center, Vanderbilt University, 230 Appleton Place, PMB 181, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Polanin
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Iowa, 101 College of Nursing Building, 50 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Segre
authors.affiliation: Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market St, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wenzel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D008403:Mass Screening; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult