title: Assessing decentering: validation, psychometric properties, and clinical usefulness of the Experiences Questionnaire in a Spanish sample.
abstract: Decentering is defined as the ability to observe one's thoughts and feelings in a detached manner. The Experiences Questionnaire (EQ) is a self-report instrument that originally assessed decentering and rumination. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of EQ-Decentering and to explore its clinical usefulness. The 11-item EQ-Decentering subscale was translated into Spanish and psychometric properties were examined in a sample of 921 adult individuals, 231 with psychiatric disorders and 690 without. The subsample of nonpsychiatric participants was also split according to their previous meditative experience (meditative participants, n=341; and nonmeditative participants, n=349). Additionally, differences among these three subgroups were explored to determine clinical validity of the scale. Finally, EQ-Decentering was administered twice in a group of borderline personality disorder, before and after a 10-week mindfulness intervention. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable model fit, sbχ(2)=243.8836 (p<.001), CFI=.939, GFI=.936, SRMR=.040, and RMSEA=.06 (.060-.077), and psychometric properties were found to be satisfactory (reliability: Cronbach's α=.893; convergent validity: r>.46; and divergent validity: r<-.35). The scale detected changes in decentering after a 10-session intervention in mindfulness (t=-4.692, p<.00001). Differences among groups were significant (F=134.8, p<.000001), where psychiatric participants showed the lowest scores compared to nonpsychiatric meditative and nonmeditative participants. The Spanish version of the EQ-Decentering is a valid and reliable instrument to assess decentering either in clinical and nonclinical samples. In addition, the findings show that EQ-Decentering seems an adequate outcome instrument to detect changes after mindfulness-based interventions.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau-IIB Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM. Electronic address: jsolerri@santpau.cat.
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.affiliation: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franquesa
authors.affiliation: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau-IIB Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feliu-Soler
authors.affiliation: Universitat Jaume I. Castelló, CIBEROBN Santiago de Compostela.
authors.forename: Ausias
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cebolla
authors.affiliation: Hospital Miguel Servet, Universidad de Zaragoza, Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud, Red de Actividades Preventivas y de Promoción de la Salud (REDIAPP), Zaragoza.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Campayo
authors.affiliation: Divisió Salut Mental. Althaia, Xarxa Assistencial Universitaria de Manresa.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tejedor
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Demarzo
authors.affiliation: Universitat Jaume I. Castelló, CIBEROBN Santiago de Compostela, Universitat de Valencia.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baños
authors.affiliation: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau-IIB Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pascual
authors.affiliation: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau-IIB Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM.
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Portella
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Experiences Questionnaire; decentering; metacognitive awareness; mindfulness