Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (JCBS)
Volume 22, October 2021, Pages 13-23
Authors
Andrew T. Gloster, Victoria J. Block, Jens Klotsche, Jeanette Villanueva, Marcia T. B. Rinner, Charles Benoy, Marc Walter, Maria Karekla, Klaus Bader
Abstract
Psychological flexibility is increasingly studied in various contexts including clinical studies. The construct has been hypothesized to be a major determinant of mental health. Existing measures lack context-sensitivity (e.g, implicitly measuring it as a trait) and/or reference to a limited time frame. We developed a short self-report measure that covers all facets of the construct and is context-sensitive. Data was collected from four separate samples (n = 744), including a community (n = 346), non-clinical (n = 188), and two clinical (n = 163 in- and outpatients and n = 47 inpatients) samples from a psychiatric hospital. Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed a one-factor structure with excellent reliability (Raykov's r = 0.91). Correlations with related (such as other measures of psychological flexibility and symptomatology) and unrelated constructs (such as age and sex) were all consistent with predictions. The Psy-Flex differentiated clinical and non-clinical samples and predicted unique variance in well-being. The Psy-Flex is an easily administrable questionnaire, useful in research and clinical settings. Its context-sensitive nature makes it applicable to repeated administrations aimed at capturing change.