Date of Graduation
2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Amy Fiske
Committee Co-Chair
Barry Edelstein
Committee Member
Julie Hicks Patrick
Abstract
Perceived burdensomeness is a major risk factor in the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, and may be particularly relevant in the older population, in which suicide rates are relatively high. However, there is currently only one widely-used measure of perceived burdensomeness, and there is currently little information on the validity of this measure for older adults. The aims were to 1) evaluate measurement invariance of the INQ-15 Perceived Burdensomeness subscale across younger and older adult age groups, and 2) evaluate the construct validity of the Perceived Burdensomeness subscale in younger and older adult age groups by comparing nomological networks in both age groups. Nested multi-group confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were used to address measurement invariance, whereas Fisher's r-to-z transformations were used to compare correlations between perceived burdensomeness and other constructs in younger and older samples. The results of the measurement invariance analysis generally supported invariance, but signals of differences in fit in older adults were present. Correlations between perceived burdensomeness and other constructs were mostly similar. However, the INQ-15 Perceived Burdensomeness subscale exhibited a significantly lower correlation with depressive symptoms in older adults compared to younger adults. This study suggests that there may be some conceptual or measurement differences in perceived burdensomeness between younger and older adults.
Recommended Citation
Lutz, Julie, "Perceived Burdensomeness in Older and Younger Adults: Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire" (2015). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 6125.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/6125