Psychometric properties of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in a first-episode psychosis sample.

The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) is a valid and reliable tool for measuring mindfulness in people who have recovered from a first episode of psychosis. In a sample of 150 individuals, the scale showed a single-factor structure that remained stable over time, excellent internal consistency, and expected relationships with measures of well-being, depression, and positive symptoms. These psychometric properties match those found in other populations, supporting the MAAS's use for assessing present-moment attention and awareness in this group.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Despite the considerable growth in mindfulness-based research in the field of psychosis, few attempts have been made to validate mindfulness instruments in this population. This study aimed to evaluate the factorial structure, internal consistency, construct validity, and longitudinal measurement invariance of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in a sample of individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP). In a sample of 150 individuals with remitted FEP, the present study explored the factor structure, measurement invariance, reliability, convergent and discriminant validity of the MAAS. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a single-factor solution, which showed temporal stability, excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α = .92; McDonald's ω = .93), and theoretically coherent convergent and discriminant validity with measures of well-being, satisfaction with life, savoring, self-compassion, depression, anxiety, stress, and positive symptoms. Overall, the psychometric properties of the MAAS were similar to those described in previous validation studies, thus supporting the value of this instrument to assess the dimension of attention and awareness to the present moment in individuals with FEP. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).