Measurement invariance and psychometric properties of the CCAPS-62 and -34 for international student clients

Theodore T Bartholomew; Brian T Keum; Allison J Lockard; Andres E Pérez-Rojas; Krista A Robbins; Fanghui Zhao

doi:10.1002/jclp.23476

Measurement invariance and psychometric properties of the CCAPS-62 and -34 for international student clients

J Clin Psychol. 2023 May;79(5):1261-1279. doi: 10.1002/jclp.23476. Epub 2023 Jan 9.

Authors

Theodore T Bartholomew¹, Brian T Keum², Allison J Lockard³, Andres E Pérez-Rojas⁴, Krista A Robbins⁵, Fanghui Zhao⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology & Department of Africana Studies, Scripps College, Claremont, California, USA.
² Department of Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
³ Department of Education, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
⁴ Department of Counseling & Educational Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
⁵ Department of Educational Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
⁶ Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.

PMID: 36623204
DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23476

Abstract

Objectives: International students attending universities in the United States may encounter psychological distress related to their adjustment and experiences studying in a new context and seek services from university counseling centers. Many centers use the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS) to measure psychological distress in college counseling centers. However, this scale has not been tested for measurement invariance with international students. Our purpose was to explore the measurement invariance of the CCAPS-62 and -34 for international students.

Methods: We tested measurement invariance for both versions of the scale using data from over 107,000 university students in psychotherapy at university counseling centers. We also examined construct validity and internal consistency.

Results: Invariance testing indicated the measurement models of the CCAPS-62 and -34 are equivalent between both groups.

Conclusion: These findings are discussed in light of utilizing this widely-used scale in United States university/college counseling centers with international student clients.

Keywords: college mental health; counseling center assessment of psychological symptoms; international students; measurement invariance.

MeSH terms

Counseling*
Humans
Psychometrics
Psychotherapy
Students* / psychology
United States
Universities