Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of nightmare distress questionnaire (NDQ-CV) in adolescents.

BACKGROUND

The Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (NDQ) is the most common scale used to measure nightmare distress for its satisfactory psychometric properties. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of NDQ (NDQ-CV) in a large sample of adolescents.

METHODS

The NDQ-CV consists of 14 items (12 original NDQ items, 1 modified NDQ item and 1 new item) to assess waking distress associated with nightmares. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale from 1 = Never to 5 = Always. Subjects used for psychometric assessment of the NDQ-CV were 11,831 participants of the Shandong Adolescent Behavior and Health Cohort in China. Participants completed the NDQ-CV and a structured questionnaire to assess nightmare frequency, sleep, anxiety/depression, and academic performance.

RESULTS

The NDQ-CV score ranged from 14 to 70 (M = 22.5, SD = 8.7). Internal consistency reliability coefficient was 0.90. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded 2 dominant factors defined as nightmare general distress (10 items) and daytime reality perception (4 items). The NDQ-CV score was significantly correlated with short nocturnal sleep duration, anxiety/depression, insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and poor academic performance. Furthermore, NDQ-CV significantly predicted depressive symptoms 1 year later.

STUDY LIMITATIONS: All data were self-reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The NDQ-CV appears to be a simple, reliable, and valid scale for assessing nightmare distresses in Chinese adolescents. Further studies are warranted to test the reliability and validity of the NDQ-CV with adult samples.