Evidências de validade e de fidedignidade do questionário de vulnerabilidade à aproximação (LMSQ-R) em uma amostra brasileira

Abstract

Anxiety represents an public health problem nationwide. Some individuals are more likely to become anxious when they perceive threats increasing and approaching quickly, which is characteristic of the cognitive style of looming vulnerability proposed by Riskind et al. (2000). This model suggests that interpreting a threat as rapidly growing and approaching generates a greater sense of urgency and anxiety when compared to a threat perceived as static. The present study intended to contribute to making this theory known in Brazil through the validation of the Looming Maladaptive Style Questionnaire-Revised (LMSQ-R) for a non-clinical sample. To this end, 204 individuals participated in the research (68.14% female, with an average age of 29.9 and 35.86% male, with an average age of 28.5) and answered: 1) Looming Maladaptive Style Questionnaire (LMSQ-R) and 2) the DASS-21 scale to assess mood in the last week. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed to confirm the two-dimensional latent structure of the questionnaire (physical and social). The reliability of the LMSQ-R was estimated using McDonald's omega coefficient, being 0.895 (0.874 ~ 0.916) for the total score. The results show that the questionnaire is valid and reliable and that the six scenarios proposed in the LMSQ-R are consistent. It is noteworthy that more robust studies are still needed to better understand the clinical implications that this model can offer for the treatment of anxiety disorders and their symptoms.