Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ)

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to test the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ). Material and Method: The APSQ, which consists of 10 items and 3 sub-dimensions (self-regulation dif?culty, performance concerns, and externalized coping) and assesses athlete-speci?c psychological distress, was administered to a total of 565 elite athletes (247 females, and 318 males). Con?r matory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess construct validity, and Cronbach alpha reliability analysis was used to determine internal consistency. Concurrent validity of the APSQ with the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales-21 and the Kessler Psychological Stress Scale-10 was also tested. Results: Findings for construct validity were consistent with three-factor structure of the original questionnaire (RMSEA=0.05, SRMR=0.03, NFI=0.94, CFI=0.96, GFI=0.97). The Cronbach’s ? coef?cient of the whole scale was 0.83, and the Cronbach’s ? coef?cients of three sub-dimensions were 0.75, 0.69, and 0.50 separately. Conclusion: Findings demonstrate that the Turkish adaptation of the APSQ has suf?cient psychometric properties for widespread use, assessing key dimensions of psychological strain experienced by elite athletes.