Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth

Background and purpose: Avoidance and cognitive fusion are two components of psychological inflexibility and are the main concepts of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y8). Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 300 students in Kashan, Iran who were selected by cluster sampling. The Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y8) and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) were administered to collect the data. The factor structure of the questionnaire was evaluated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Also, the convergent validity with RCMAS, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of this questionnaire were examined. Results: Exploratory factor analysis indicated one factor called psychological inflexibility. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the one factor model of the questionnaire (RMSEA 90% CI =0.00-0.07). Also, the convergent validity with RCMAS was found to be good (r = 0.60, p