A recent study has assessed the reliability and validity of the Athens Insomnia Scale-8 (AIS-8) specifically for a sample of Chinese psychiatric inpatients, filling a significant gap in cross-cultural insomnia assessment research. Conducted from October 2023 to September 2024, the study involved 519 psychiatric inpatients at the Department of Mental Health, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, out of which 411 respondents were included in the analysis after adjusting for missing values.
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The research utilized the Chinese version of the AIS-8, complemented by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated a two-factor model comprising “nighttime sleep problems” and “daytime dysfunction.” Although the item “daytime sleepiness” had lower factor loadings, removing it negatively affected model fit, leading to its retention in the scale.
The AIS-8 demonstrated a strong internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.84, and significant correlations with PHQ-9 and GAD-7 provided evidence for convergent validity. Particularly notable is the establishment of strict measurement invariance across gender, while age, marital status, and occupation showed only weak invariance.
The findings position the AIS-8 as a reliable instrument for clinical insomnia assessment within Chinese psychiatric settings. However, limitations such as sample size and the study's single-center design may affect generalizability. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Peking University, with informed consent duly obtained from all participants or their guardians.
This research contributes critical insights into insomnia assessment within psychiatric populations, proposing the AIS-8 as a viable instrument for further studies and clinical practices.