The Turkish validation of the short form of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire (AFQ-Y8): Factor structure, measurement invariance, and incremental validity

The Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y8) was adapted to gauge psychological inflexibility among young people in a Turkish sample. The current study investigated the factorial structure, incremental validity, measurement invariance across age and gender, and test-retest reliability of the AFQ-Y8 with a sample of 968 high school students (boys = 437, girls = 531). The results confirm the factorial structure associated with psychological inflexibility. Furthermore, the AFQ-Y8 demonstrated a positive correlation with adverse psychological health outcomes. The analysis also supported measurement invariance across different age and gender groups. Additionally, psychological inflexibility exhibited incremental validity in relation to anxiety and depression. In summary, the results indicate that the Turkish AFQ-Y8 is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring psychological inflexibility in adolescents. The Turkish AFQ-Y8 may prove useful in cross-cultural research on psychological inflexibility. •The AFQ-Y was adapted in adolescents.•The AFQ-Y psychometric properties were explored in Turkish samples.•The AFQ-Y is a valid and reliable assessment tool of adolescents.•The AFQ-Y8 seems to be invariant across age groups and gender at all levels.