Psychometric Evaluation of the Spanish Version of the 5-item Reflective Functioning Questionnaire for Youth

Introduction: Given the growing interest in research examining reflective functioning (RF) in youth, there is a significant need for valid measures of RF in adolescents. The 5-item Reflective Functioning Questionnaire for Youth (RFQY-5) is a promising measure that can help fill this gap. However, studies have yet to evaluate the performance of the Spanish translation of the RFQY-5 or how the history of parental neglect may impact RF in adolescents. The first aim of this study was to conduct a psychometric evaluation of the Spanish RFQY-5. The second aim was to examine differences in RF between adolescents affected by parental neglect and adolescents from the community. Methods: The study employed convenience sampling to recruit 570 adolescents (11-18 years), of whom 168 were receiving psychosocial support due to a history of parental neglect. The remaining 402 adolescents were from regional schools. Participants completed the RFQY-5 and three RF-related measures. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported a unidimensional structure. Measurement invariance was demonstrated across age and gender, and results indicated acceptable internal consistency and convergent validity. No significant differences in RF were found between groups. However, age-related differences emerged, with late adolescents who had a history of parental neglect demonstrating poorer RF. Discussion: The measure demonstrated sound psychometric properties and a unidimensional structure while RF was not found to be negatively impacted by parental neglect until late adolescence. result: Results from the confirmatory factor analysis supported the unidimensional structure of the RFQY-5 and measurement invariance across age and gender. Results demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and convergent validity through correlations between the RFQY-5 other measures related to RF. Results did not reveal significant group differences on RF between adolescents with a history of parental neglect and those from the community. However, group differences emerged when examining RF among late adolescents only. Conclusion: The Spanish RFQY-5 appears to be a valid measure for use in Spanish-speaking adolescents. Future research should examine age-related moderation of RFQY-5 identification of youth with RF challenges.