Psychometric properties of the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale in Spanish-speaking countries during the COVID-19 pandemic
Psychometric studies are needed to decide the most suitable instrument in psychological research. Whereas Beck Depression Inventory has more psychometrics studies in Spanish-speaking countries, Beck Anxiety Inventory has less evidence. Additionally, anhedonia is a crucial construct to understand the relationship between depression and anxiety and their outcomes. However, there a scarce psychometric studies in anhedonia measures in non-English languages. Therefore, the first objective was to describe the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) psychometric properties. The second objective was to evaluate the measurement invariance of two psychometric scales, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS), in 12 Spanish-speaking countries. The first included 1287 participants over 18 years of age from Chile. The second with a sample of 9954 participants from 12 Spanish-speaking countries. We analyze the construct, convergent, concurrent, and discriminant validities using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. This study showed good internal consistency for both scales. First, we provided evidence for construct validity, convergent validity, concurrent validity, and discriminant validity in a Chilean sample. Secondly, we established measurement invariance between Chile and those other 11 countries. This study represents the most thorough psychometric analysis of the BAI and SHAPS in the context of which we are aware.