Postpartum specific anxiety in a French population: Validation of the French version of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale [PSAS‐FR]
Lilliam Infante‐Gil, Sergio A. Silverio, Victoria Fallon, Jaqueline Wendland
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study aims to validate the Postpartum-Specific-Anxiety-Scale (PSAS) as a French-language instrument, which assesses maternal and infant-related anxieties during the postpartum period. DESIGN AND METHODS: The methodology included six stages: preliminary French translation; selection of most articulate items and back-translation; rectification of discrepancies; pilot study (n = 257); reliability and validity studies (n = 258; n = 874); and test-retest reliability study (n = 231). FINDINGS: The PSAS-FR demonstrated good acceptability, high internal consistency of the global scale (Cronbach's α = 0.93), and each of the factors; along with good validity, and test-retest reliability. The receiver operating characteristic analysis suggested a satisfactory screening tool. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The PSAS-FR appears to be a valid and reliable tool to screen for postpartum anxieties in the French-speaking population.