2.4.6. Mental Health
Anxiety, anxiety
POSITIVE
For the purposes of this study, we utilized validated measures developed as part of the NIH-funded Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). Positive affect and well-being were measured using the Neuro-QOL Item Bank v1.0—Positive Affect and Well-Being (Short Form). An example question was “Lately, my life was satisfying…” Responses range from Never (1) to Always (5). The instrument is 9 items with a score range of 9 to 45, where higher scores indicated a higher overall positive affect and well-being. Anxiety was measured by the Neuro-QOL Item Bank v1.0—Anxiety (Short Form) from the PROMIS. An example question was “In the past 7 days, I felt nervous.” Responses ranged from Never (1) to Always (5). The instrument features 8 items with a score range of 8 to 40. A higher score indicates a higher anxiety level. Cognitive function was measured by NIH Neuro-QOL Item Bank v2.0—Cognition Function (Short Form) from the PROMIS. Four questions started with “In the past 7 days… (e.g., I had to read something several times to understand it).” Answering options ranged from “Never (5)” to “Very often (several times a day) (1).” Another four questions started with “How much DIFFICULTY do you currently have… (e.g., learning new tasks or instructions?)”, and answering options range from “None (5)” to “Cannot do (1).” The total score ranged from 8 to 40, with higher scores indicating better cognitive function.