Psychometric Evaluation of a Persian Version of Beliefs about Emotions Scale in Community and Clinical Samples

Ala Ghapanchi; Imaneh Abasi; Katharine A. Rimes; Maryam Bitarafan; Hamid Zarabi; Fatemeh Sara Derakhshan; Mohammad Kamran Derakhshan; Sepideh Ghanadanzadeh; Helena Whitley; Helena Whitley; Alireza Shamsi

doi:10.18502/ijps.v19i1.14343

Ala Ghapanchi Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Imaneh Abasi Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Katharine A. Rimes Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK.
Maryam Bitarafan Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Hamid Zarabi Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Fatemeh Sara Derakhshan Department of Clinical Psychology, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Kamran Derakhshan Psychosomatic Department, Taleqani Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Sepideh Ghanadanzadeh Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Helena Whitley Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK.
Helena Whitley Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK.
Alireza Shamsi Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijps.v19i1.14343

Keywords: Cognition; Depressive Disorder; Emotions; Somatization Disorder; Validation Study

Abstract

Objective: This research is primarily conducted to determine the psychometric properties of the Beliefs about Emotions Scale (BES) in community and clinical samples. The BES is a scale measure used for evaluating individuals’ beliefs in terms of how acceptable it is for them to experience and express their emotions.

Method: This study was conducted on two separate samples. In the first part, 300 individuals were selected from a general sample in Tehran using the quota sampling method. For the second part of the study, we used purposive sampling to gather data from 119 patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and 121 patients from Somatic Symptoms Disorder (SSD), whose disorders were diagnosed based on the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. The BES structural validity was examined through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Additionally, test-retest composite and internal consistency indices were explored to investigate the reliability of the BES score. Finally, the associations of the BES score with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ), Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) scores were highlighted to investigate the discriminant and convergent validity of the BES score.

Results: According to CFAs, the one-factor model for the BES demonstrated a good fit with the data collected from both the clinical and community samples. The internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was satisfactory in the community sample (α = 0.84) and the clinical samples of SSD (α = 0.86) and MDD (α = 0.83). The community sample demonstrated high overall test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.93, P < 0.001; 95% CI: 0.89 - 0.95). In terms of convergent validity, the findings confirmed that in the MMD sample, there was a significant relationship between the BES and almost all measures (including Depression (r = 0.39, P < 0.01), Anxiety (r = 0.21, P < 0.05), Self-Sacrifice (r = 0.27, P < 0.01), MPS-total score (r = 0.22, P < 0.05), DERS total score (r = 0.50, P < 0.01), and Suppression (r = 0.38, P < 0.01). However, in the SSD group, this finding was not found.

Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the Persian BES is a reliable and valid scale of maladaptive beliefs about emotions which could be implemented for both clinical and research aims.