School refusal (SR) is considered as a clinical form of emotionally based school absenteeism related to the experience of strong negative emotions when attending school. However, there are no ...psychometrically sound measures specifically designed to assess SR. The aim of the present research was to develop and validate a multidimensional self-report measure of SR: the SChool REfusal EvaluatioN Scale (SCREEN) for adolescents.
Two studies were performed to develop this scale. Study 1 used content analysis on 42 semi-directed interviews to identify and organize the indicators of SR and to generate items. The item pool was then reviewed by experts to construct a pilot scale. Study 2 examined the psychometric properties of this pilot scale of the SCREEN in a community sample of 649 French adolescents (age: 10-16 years) and a clinical sample of 31 adolescents.
The initial SCREEN structure was identified via exploratory factor analysis, and the resultant model was validated using confirmatory factor analysis. In its final version (an 18-item, four-factor measurement model), the SCREEN reliably measures four interrelated aspects of SR. Data suggest good reliability and validity of scores on this SR measure. Results of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated good accuracy of the SCREEN (sensitivity = .94 and specificity = .88).
The SCREEN offers a new and valid measure to assess SR in research and clinical settings.
School absenteeism is a serious problem among youths, varying in etiology and presentation. Youths presenting high levels of absence have previously been linked to mental health problems, academic ...difficulties and dropout, highlighting the need for early identification and intervention. The aim of this study is twofold: first, to identify profiles among a community sample of secondary school students based on school absence, internalizing and externalizing behavior using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL-YSR). Second, to examine the relationship between profiles regarding mental health problems based on the dimensions of the CBCL-YSR, the function of their school absence using the School Refusal Assessment Scale (SRAS) and school refusal using the SChool REfusal EvaluatioN (SCREEN). The profiles are compared on demographic variables, family characteristics, school performance and bullying. A community sample of 469 youths (10-16 year, M=12.1 years, SD=1.2) from six French secondary publics schools participated in this study. Using cluster analysis, four distinct profiles were identified. The clusters differed significantly on school absence, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, dimensions of the CBCL-YSR, and their function of absence on the SRAS. Clusters differed significantly on several demographic variables, school level, grade, repetition and bullying. The distinctions between the four profiles and their relevance are discussed.
IntroductionSyndromic panel assays, that is, using one test to simultaneously target multiple pathogens with overlapping signs and symptoms, have been integrated into routine paediatric care over the ...past decade, mainly for more severely ill and hospitalised patients. Their wider availability and short turnaround times open the possibility to apply them to non-hospitalised patients as well. In this context, it is important to trial how clinicians make use of pathogen detection data and if their early availability influences management decisions, particularly antibiotic use and hospitalisation.Methods and analysisAdvanced Diagnostics for Enhanced QUality of Antibiotic prescription in respiratory Tract infections in Emergency rooms is an individually randomised, controlled, open-label effectiveness trial comparing the impact of a respiratory pathogen panel assay (BIOFIRE Respiratory Panel 2.1plus) used as a rapid syndromic test on nasopharyngeal swabs in addition to the standard of care versus standard of care alone. The trial will 1:1 randomise 520 participants under the age of 18 at 7 paediatric emergency departments in 5 European countries. Inclusion criteria for the trial consist of two sets, with the first describing respiratory tract infections in paediatric patients and the second describing the situation of potential management uncertainty in which test results may immediately affect management decisions. Enrolment started in July 2021 and is expected to be completed in early 2024. We will perform a two-sample t-test assuming a pooled variance estimate to compare the log-transformed mean time on antibiotic treatment (in hours) and number of days alive out of the hospital within 14 days after study enrolment between the control and intervention arms.Ethics and disseminationThe trial protocol and materials were approved by research ethics committees in all participating countries. The respiratory pathogen panel assay is CE marked (assessed to meet European regulations) and FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) cleared for diagnostic use. Participants and caregivers provide informed consent prior to study procedures commencing. The trial results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and at national and international conferences. Key messages will also be disseminated via press and social media where appropriate.Trial registration number NCT04781530.
Post-pandemic, it is essential to understand the epidemiology of pediatric acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs). Our multi-facility study elucidates the outpatient epidemiology of pediatric ...ARTI using highly multiplexed PCR testing, providing critical insights into the evolving landscape of the etiological agents with a particular focus on the years following the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. Utilizing data from two different multiplex PCR panels, our research provides a comprehensive analysis of respiratory pathogen positivity from 2018 to 2023. Our findings indicate that over half of the annual test results identified at least one pathogen, primarily of viral origin. Intriguingly, despite the surge in testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, pathogen detection rates remain similar to the pre-pandemic era. These data hold significant implications for directing antimicrobial stewardship strategies, curbing unnecessary antibiotic use in pediatric respiratory diseases, and the value of multiplex PCR testing in the outpatient setting among pediatrics.
Dengue is a serious mosquito-transmitted disease caused by the dengue virus (DENV). Rapid and reliable diagnosis of DENV infection is urgently needed in dengue-endemic regions. We describe here the ...performance evaluation of the CE-marked VIDAS
dengue immunoassays developed for the automated detection of DENV NS1 antigen and anti-DENV IgM and IgG antibodies. A multicenter concordance study was conducted in 1296 patients from dengue-endemic regions in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. VIDAS
dengue results were compared to those of competitor enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The VIDAS
dengue assays showed high precision (CV ≤ 10.7%) and limited cross-reactivity (≤15.4%) with other infections. VIDAS
DENGUE NS1 Ag showed high positive and negative percent agreement (92.8% PPA and 91.7% NPA) in acute patients within 0-5 days of symptom onset. VIDAS
Anti-DENGUE IgM and IgG showed a moderate-to-high concordance with ELISA (74.8% to 90.6%) in post-acute and recovery patients. PPA was further improved in combined VIDAS
NS1/IgM (96.4% in 0-5 days acute patients) and IgM/IgG (91.9% in post-acute patients) tests. Altogether, the VIDAS
dengue NS1, IgM, and IgG assays performed well, either alone or in combination, and should be suitable for the accurate diagnosis of DENV infection in dengue-endemic regions.
Objective: School refusal (SR) is considered as a clinical form of emotionally based school absenteeism related to the experience of strong negative emotions when attending school. However, there are ...no psychometrically sound measures specifically designed to assess SR. The aim of the present research was to develop and validate a multidimensional self-report measure of SR: the SChool REfusal EvaluatioN Scale (SCREEN) for adolescents. Methods: Two studies were performed to develop this scale. Study 1 used content analysis on 42 semi-directed interviews to identify and organize the indicators of SR and to generate items. The item pool was then reviewed by experts to construct a pilot scale. Study 2 examined the psychometric properties of this pilot scale of the SCREEN in a community sample of 649 French adolescents (age: 10-16 years) and a clinical sample of 31 adolescents. Results: The initial SCREEN structure was identified via exploratory factor analysis, and the resultant model was validated using confirmatory factor analysis. In its final version (an 18-item, four-factor measurement model), the SCREEN reliably measures four interrelated aspects of SR. Data suggest good reliability and validity of scores on this SR measure. Results of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated good accuracy of the SCREEN (sensitivity = .94 and specificity = .88). Conclusions: The SCREEN offers a new and valid measure to assess SR in research and clinical settings.
School refusal is heterogeneous in aetiology and presentation. The heterogeneity in its presentation, the focus of this study, complicates the conceptualisation and assessment of school refusal. The ...present study documents the development of a descriptive model of school refusal that was used to inform the development of a questionnaire for identifying manifestations of school refusal (the SChool REfusal EvaluatioN - SCREEN). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 42 participants: adolescents who display school refusal and those who do not, middle school professionals, and care professionals working with adolescents displaying school refusal. Analysis of interview data led to the organisation of school refusal manifestations according to four main themes comprising ten categories. The four themes were: School, Daily and Family Life, Health, and Socialisation Outside Home and Family. These themes correspond to the various contexts in which school refusal may be manifest. Results support the common notion that school refusal manifestations are not limited to absence from the school context, and are likely to occur outside this environment. This study represents the first empirical analysis of the manifestations of school refusal among French youth displaying school refusal.
Comment construire un questionnaire de psychologie ? Souvent peu détaillée dans les études, l’étape de construction d’un questionnaire est pourtant un aspect méthodologique essentiel du travail de ...mesure des phénomènes psychologiques. Au-delà des précautions prises ultérieurement lors de sa validation, un questionnaire ne peut mesurer que ce pourquoi il a été créé, d’où l’importance cruciale de cette étape. À l’aide de l’exemple de la SChool REfusal EvaluatioN (SCREEN), un questionnaire visant à mesurer le refus scolaire anxieux, cet article présente pas à pas et discute les différentes phases de sa création : (a) rédaction des items ; (b) évaluation et pré-sélection des items ; et (c) structuration du questionnaire dans sa forme pilote (avant validation). Outre ces aspects techniques, pour chaque phase sont présentées les différentes contraintes à envisager, de manière à construire un questionnaire pertinent sur le terrain selon l’objet d’étude choisi.
What should we pay attention to when designing a psychological scale? Often sketchily outlined in studies, the design phase is an essential aspect of any study measuring phenomena in psychology. Using the example of the School Refusal EvaluatioN (SCREEN), a scale designed to assess school refusal, this article details the design phase step by step and discuss the different stages of its creation: (a) writing of items; (b) assessment and pre-selection of items and (c) structuring the questionnaire in its pilot form before validation. Besides these technical aspects, this article discusses how the constraints inherent to each stage are to be addressed so that a scale relevant to the field and topic of study can be correctly developed.
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