Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the acceptance and action questionnaire-substance abuse (AAQ-SA) on a clinical sample

Background: In this study, it is aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Substance Abuse (AAQ-SA) which is developed for assessing psychological flexibility levels of individuals with alcohol and/or substance misuse. Methods: The research sample consisted of a total of 191 participants diagnosed with alcohol and substance use disorder. For reliability analysis, Cronbach alpha coefficient, test-retest correlation, and item-total correlation methods were used. The construct validity of the scale was carried out by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis methods. For assessing the criterion-related validity were used Self Concealment Scale (SCS), Addiction Profile Index (BAPI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMIS), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES).Results: Principal component analysis with varimax rotation and confirmatory factor analysis were applied to examine the factor structure of the Turkish AAQ-SA and the two-factor structure was obtained similar to the original scale. In the construct validity analysis conducted by confirmatory factor analysis method, it was determined that the regression load of one item was not at the level of significance and the item was excluded from the scale. The Cronbach alpha coefficient of the 17-item final version was 0.736 and the Cronbach alpha coefficients of the sub-scales were 0.700-0.766. The item-total score correlation coefficients ranged from 0.100 to 0.523 (p <0.01). Test-retest reliability analysis at three weeks also showed good temporal stability (r=0.83). In terms of criterion-related validity, the total score of the scale was significantly correlated with BAPI, SCS, BDI, MSPSS, ISMIS, RSES scores in the expected direction. In addition, the AAQ-SA scores were compared according to the severity of addiction which is obtained from BAPI scores and results indicated significant differenceConclusions: Our results of the study indicated that the Turkish version of the AAQ-SA can be used as a satisfactory reliable and valid scale.