Mind wandering in people with Multiple Sclerosis: A psychometric study.

BACKGROUND

Although mind wandering (MW) is associated with various psychological aspects frequently affected in people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS), there is lack of validated tools to assess MW in this clinical population.

OBJECTIVE

This psychometric study aimed to assess structural and construct validity and reliability of a brief Italian version of Mind Wandering (MW) Scale that measures two different dimensions of MW, i.e., spontaneous (MW-S) and deliberate (MW-D).

METHODS

Structural validity of the MW Scale was assessed by explorative factor analysis (EFA). To investigate construct validity, mood (Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale) and personality (10-items Big Five Inventory Test) were correlated with MW constructs. Reliability was assessed by Cronbach's α for internal consistency and intraclass correlation coefficients.

RESULTS

EFA confirmed two distinct constructs of MW, i.e., MW-S and MW-D, also in PwMS. This tool appropriately fits the graded response model, supporting validity (about 79% of hypotheses for convergent and discriminant constructs confirmed) and internal consistency (MW-S: Cronbach's α = 0.84; MW-D: Cronbach's α = 0.88).

CONCLUSION

MW Scale could be a useful tool to measure MW also in PwMS. As MW seems to be connected to clinical manifestations of MS, a detailed assessment of MW should be encouraged in clinical practice.