The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is the most widely used questionnaire in research and clinical practice to assess sleep quality. However, a brief version of this measure would improve its efficiency and applicability. This study aimed to develop a brief form of the PSQI and to study measurement invariance across gender and age in a nonclinical population. In total, 609 participants with a mean age of 37.3 years (standard deviation [SD] = 11.9) were recruited, of whom 71.8% (n = 437) were women. Participants completed online versions of the PSQI and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Reliability analyses were performed to reduce the number of items, followed by validity and measurement invariance analyses for the new Brief Version of the PSQI (B-PSQI). Six questions were included in the B-PSQI out of the initial 18; the brief form had adequate internal consistency (α = .79 and ω = 0.91). Confirmatory factor analysis showed optimal fit of the B-PSQI (χ2(4) = 22.428; p < .01; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.99; normed fit index (NFI) = 0.99; Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.98; root mean squared error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.06; standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.04), achieving partial scalar invariance across gender-same factorial structure, loadings, and thresholds in the majority of the items. Invariance across age was only achieved for model structure. Additionally, the B-PSQI yielded favorable sensitivity (75.82%) and specificity (76.99%) for classifying poor sleepers, similar to values for the full PSQI. In conclusion, the B-PSQI is a brief, reliable, and valid measure that can be used as a screening tool, allowing valid score comparisons between men and women of similar age. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Despite health anxiety (HA) is associated with higher incidence of anxiety disorders, no studies have examined the association between this variable and the increased levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) reported during COVID pandemic. This study was conducted online between April and May 2020. Data were collected from 468 men and women from the Spanish general population. Sociodemographic and COVID-19-related data, health anxiety, PTSS, fear of becoming infected, social support, sleep problems and past/current psychological/psychiatric history were assessed. The mediating effect of HA when predicting PTSS was explored with mediational analyses. Moderated mediational analyses were also performed to test if receiving psychological treatment during pandemic changes the mediating effect of HA. Prevalence of PTSS was higher in high-scorers in HA (p<.01). High HA was also more likely to be reported by women, individuals with sleep problems, frequently fear of getting infected, and those who have previously received psychological treatment (p<.01). HA mediates the relationship between PTSS and the following predictors of PTSS: sleep problems, psychiatric history and fear of getting infected. Being under psychological treatment did not moderate the mediating effect of health anxiety. Further longitudinal studies with bigger sample sizes are needed to examine the causal relationship between HA and PTSS after COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings suggest that HA could influence the psychological consequences of the pandemic. Screening of HA could be useful to identify people with heightened risk of developing PTSS during pandemic.

Caregiving has been associated with increased levels of fear and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) during COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is a lack of studies that analyze when the relationship between fear and PTSS occur, using informal caregiving as a moderator variable. To explore this moderating role, we conducted a cross-sectional online study between November 2020 and January 2021. A total of 503 men and women from the Spanish general population completed the survey. Sociodemographic and Covid-19-related data, fear of COVID-19, PTSS symptoms, and current psychological history were assessed. Prevalence of informal caregiving in the sample was 16.5%. Increased levels of fear and PTSS were found in caregivers compared to non-caregivers. Female gender and high number of COVID-19 related risk factors was also associated with fear and PTSS severity. The moderation analyses showed an interaction effect between caregiving and fear of COVID-19 when predicting PTSS symptoms. Particularly, results showed that informal caregivers reported greater PTSS symptoms, when compared to non-caregivers with same levels of fear of COVID-19. This evidence suggests that being a caregiver could increase the fear’s impact on PTSS severity in the context of pandemics. Further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these findings.