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.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abramowitz JS, Schwartz SA, Moore KM (2003) Obsessional thoughts in postpartum females and their partners: Content, severity and relationship with depression. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 10:157–164
Ballard C, Davis R, Handy S, Mohan RNC (1993) Postpartum anxiety in mothers and fathers. Euopeanr J Psychiatry 7:117–121
Beck CT, Indman P (2005) The many faces of postpartum depression. J Obstet Gynecologic Neonatal Nurs 34(5):569–576. doi:10.1177/0884217505279995
Brouwers EPM, van Baar AL, Pop VJM (2001) Maternal anxiety during pregnancy and subsequent infant development. Infant Behav Dev 24:95–106
Browne MW, Cudeck R (1992) Alternative ways of assessing model fit. Sociol Methods Res 21(2):230–258
Campbell DT, Fiske DW (1959) Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix. Psychol Bull 56:81–105
Carter JD, Mulder RT, Bartram AF, Darlow BA (2005) Infants in a neonatal intensive care unit: Parental response. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 90:F109–F113
Cox J, Holden J (2003) Perinatal mental health: a guide to the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Gaskell, London
Enders CK (2010) Applied missing data analysis. The Guilford Press, New York, NY
Jöreskog KG, Sörbom D (2006) LISREL 8.8 for Windows [Computer software]. Scientific Software International, Inc., Skokie, IL
Jubinville J, Newburn-Cook C, Hegadoren K, Lacaze-Masmonteil T (2012) Symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder in mothers of premature infants. Adv Neonatal Care 12:246–253
Kenny DA (2012). Measuring model fit. Retrieved from http://davidakenny.net/cm/fit.htm/
Kline RB (2011) Principles and practice of structural equation modeling, 3rd edn. The Guilford Press, New York
Lefkowitz DS, Baxt C, Evans JR (2010) Prevalence and correlates of posttraumatic stress and postpartum depression in parents of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). J Clin Psychol Med Settings 17:230–237
Matthey S (2008) Using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to screen for anxiety disorders. Depress Anxiety 25(11):926–31.
Matthey S, Barnett B, Howie P, Kavanagh DJ (2003) Diagnosing postpartum depression in mothers and fathers: Whatever happened to anxiety? J Affect Disord 74(2):139–147
Meade AW, Johnson EC, Braddy PW (2008) Power and sensitivity of alternative fit indices in tests of measurement invariance. J Appl Psychol 93:568–592
Moran TE, Wenzel A, Polanin J (2014). An initial validation of the Postpartum Worry Scale – Revised. Arch Women’s Mental Health 17(1):41–48
Myers ER, Aubuchon-Endsley N, Bastian LA, Gierisch JM, KemperAR, Swamy GK, Sanders GD (2013). Efficacy and safety of screening for postpartum depression. Comparative Effectiveness Review 106: Duke Evidence-based Practice Center
Phillips J, Sharpe L, Matthey S, Charles M (2009) Maternally focused worry. Arch Women’s Mental Health 12(6):409–418
Rogers CE, Kidokoro H, Wallendorf M, Inder TE (2013) Identifying mothers of very preterm infants at-risk for postpartum depression and anxiety before discharge. J Perinatol 33:171–176
Ross LE, Gilbert-Evans SE, Sellers EM, Romach MK (2003) Measurement issues in postpartum depression part 1: Anxiety as a feature of postpartum depression. Arch Women’s Mental Health 6(1):51–57
Tuohy A, McVey C (2008) Experience of pregnancy and delivery as predictors of postpartum depression. Psychol Health Med 13:43–47
Wenzel A (2011) Anxiety in childbearing women: Diagnosis and treatment. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC
Wenzel A, Haugen EN, Jackson LC, Robinson K (2003) Prevalence of generalized anxiety at eight weeks postpartum. Arch Women’s Mental Health 6:43–49
Wenzel A, Haugen EN, Jackson LC, Brendle JR (2005) Anxiety disorders at eight weeks postpartum. J Anxiety Disord 19:295–311
Wittchen HU, Hoyer J (2001) Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Nature and course. J Clin Psychiatry 62(11):15–19
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Moran, T.E., Polanin, J.R., Segre, L. et al. The postpartum worry scale—Revised: Continuing validation with a sample of NICU mothers. Arch Womens Ment Health 18, 221–228 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-014-0452-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-014-0452-5