Psychometric Assessment of the Mental Health Self-Management Questionnaire in a Clinical Sample With Anxiety Disorders

The development of self-management strategies plays an active role in the recovery process of individuals suffering from mental disorders. The Mental Health Self-Management Questionnaire (MHSQ) was developed to give empirical insight into the construct of self-management. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of this recent instrument in a sample of patients meeting DSM-5 criteria for anxiety disorders. Data were drawn from a randomized controlled trial examining transdiagnostic group cognitive-behavioural therapy compared to treatment-as-usual for anxiety disorders. Participants (n = 231) completed a structured interview for anxiety disorders and several self-reported measures, including the MHSQ. Confirmatory factor analysis for the initial three-factor structure showed adequate fit after adding covariances between certain items. The MHSQ had acceptable reliability for the clinical (α =.73, ω =.78), empowerment (α =.80, ω =.80) and vitality (α =.71, ω =.71) subscales. Results showed high correlations with measures of well-being and moderate correlations with measures of disability and depression, especially on the empowerment and vitality subscales. Lower correlations were found between the MHSQ and anxiety symptoms. The linear mixed model examining sensitivity to change showed that the MHSQ score at post-treatment was significantly greater for the experimental condition compared to the control condition for the clinical and empowerment subscales. The MHSQ is a promising measure, and research with other clinical populations and long-term follow-up is warranted to gather further evidence on the validity and fidelity of the instrument.