Empty Nest Syndrome Assessment Inventory (ENSAI)

Abstract

The Empty Nest Syndrome Assessment Inventory (ENSAI) was developed by Pirzadeh et al. in 2023 specifically to evaluate the collection of signs and symptoms associated with the Empty Nest Syndrome (ENS) in parents. The creation of the ENSAI was necessitated by the lack of a dedicated, validated tool for assessing this phenomenon among the parental population in Iran. The initial development phase involved extensive interviews with parents, leading to a draft of 25 items. This initial pool was rigorously refined to a final 21-item instrument, guided by a comprehensive literature review, discussions with a panel of experts, and an evaluation of face validity. Subsequent validation, conducted using a sample of Iranian parents, included both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). These analyses confirmed a robust six-factor structure, retaining all 21 items. The study also provided crucial psychometric properties regarding the instrument’s reliability (specifically internal consistency), content validity, sensitivity, and specificity.

Keywords

Anxiety and Depression, Cut Off Points, Empty Nest Syndrome, Face Validity, Grief and Loss, Incompetency, Insomnia, Loneliness, Older Adult Parents, Persian Version, Purposelessness, Screener, Emotional Responses, Functional Status, Parent Child Relations, Family and Parenting Measures, Mental Health Screening.

Authors

Pirzadeh, Nasim, Yarelahi, Mahsa, Nazari, Mahin, Asadollahi, Abdolrahim.

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Purpose

The primary objective of the Empty Nest Syndrome Assessment Inventory (ENSAI) is to serve as a reliable screening instrument for identifying the presence and severity of Empty Nest Syndrome (ENS). It was specifically developed for use within the older adult population residing in Persia (Iran), addressing a critical need for culturally relevant assessment tools in this region.

Construct

The central psychological construct measured by the ENSAI is Empty Nest Syndrome. This syndrome describes the feelings of sadness, grief, and loneliness experienced by parents after their children leave home, typically for the first time, such as for college or marriage. The instrument operationalizes this construct across six distinct dimensions of emotional and psychological distress.

Validity

The validity of the ENSAI was established through several psychometric approaches. Regarding content validity, the quantitative indices—specifically the Content Validity Index (CVI) and the Content Validity Ratio (CVR)—were calculated and found to be at acceptable statistical levels, indicating that the items adequately represent the intended construct.

Furthermore, the instrument’s diagnostic utility was evaluated through its sensitivity and specificity, for which specific cutoff points were determined for both the overall score and each subscale. The overall sensitivity for the total score was 0.85 (ranging from 0.80 to 0.90 across factors), while the overall specificity was 0.640 (ranging from 0.60 to 0.740 across factors). The established cutoff scores for identifying the presence of ENS are:

• Loneliness: 8
• Purposelessness: 7
• Anxiety and Depression: 17.5
• Insomnia: 11
• Grief and Loss: 11
• Incompetency: 8
• Total ENSAI score: 61

Reliability

The reliability of the ENSAI, particularly its internal consistency, was confirmed using several robust statistical measures. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was reported as 0.90 (p < .001, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.89–0.92), demonstrating excellent test-retest reliability. The widely used Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, a measure of internal consistency, was found to be 0.836. Additionally, the Fleiss’s kappa coefficient was reported as 0.80, further supporting the scale’s consistency and agreement across items.

Factor Analysis

The structural integrity of the ENSAI was thoroughly investigated using both exploratory and confirmatory methods.

Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA): The EFA results strongly supported a comprehensive six-factor structure underlying the Empty Nest Syndrome construct. This model collectively accounts for 79.789% of the total variance associated with ENS. All 21 items were retained in the final scale, exhibiting strong factor loadings that ranged from 0.60 to 0.96, indicating a good to excellent relationship between the items and their respective factors. The variance explained by the individual factors (1 through 6) was reported as 5.370%, 12.161%, 13.398%, 12.124%, 8.023%, and 9.819%, respectively.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA): The Confirmatory Factor Analysis was utilized to confirm the suitability of the six-factor model identified by the EFA. The model demonstrated a good fit to the data, evidenced by a chi-square (x2) test value of 96.316 with 84 degrees of freedom, resulting in an index value of 1.436 (p > 0.05). Key fit indices provided further support for the model’s structure: the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) was 0.027. Other incremental fit indices such as the Incremental Fit Index (IFI) (0.90), Comparative Fit Index (CFI) (0.91), Non-Normed Fit Index (NNFI) (0.92), and Normed Fit Index (NFI) (0.90) all met or exceeded conventional thresholds for good model fit. The Adjusted Goodness-of-Fit Index (AGFI) and Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI) were 0.92 and 0.90, respectively.

Instrument

Test Type: Original Screener

Format: The instrument is composed of 21 items, which are administered using a paper-based format. Respondents rate their experience using a five-point Likert scale.

Language Available: English; Persian (Farsi)

Population Group: Human; Male and Female parents

Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older)

Population Details: The validation study was conducted in Iran, involving a sample of Persian and Kurdish parents classified as older adults.

Test Methodology: Test Validity; Construct Validity; Content Validity; Test Reliability; Internal Consistency; Factor Analysis; Confirmatory Factor Analysis; Exploratory Factor Analysis; Test Sensitivity; Test Specificity

Keywords

Cutting Scores, Emotional Responses, Empty Nest, Functional Status, Parent Child Relations, Family and Parenting Measures, Face Validity, Older Adulthood, Mental Health Screening, Psychometrics, Validation.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier:

• Pirzadeh, Nasim: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0518-6433
• Asadollahi, Abdolrahim: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2265-5641
• Yarelahi, Mahsa: No data is Available
• Nazari, Mahin: No data is Available

Affiliation Email addresses:

• Asadollahi, Abdolrahim: [email protected]

Correspondence Address:

• Asadollahi, Abdolrahim: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Department of Gerontology, 3rd Floor, Razi Ave, P.O. Box: 7153675541, Shiraz, Iran, Islamic Republic of, [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Empty Nest Syndrome Assessment Inventory (ENSAI) was developed in 2023. The instrument is generally not intended for commercial use, and currently, there is no fee associated with its utilization. Information regarding formal permissions for use can be obtained by contacting the publisher or the corresponding author.

Reference’s

Pirzadeh, N., Yarelahi, M., Nazari, M., & Asadollahi, A. (2023). The empty nest syndrome assessment instrument: Development and psychometric properties of Persian version among Iranian older adults. Educational Gerontology, 49(12), 1100–1115. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2023.2209457

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Items of the Empty Nest Syndrome Assessment Inventory (ENSAI)

The complete list of the 21 items for this measure is available for review in the source publication cited above, specifically located in Appendix 1 on pages 1114-1115. These items are organized into six distinct factors or subscales, which are:

• Loneliness
• Purposelessness
• Anxiety and Depression
• Insomnia
• Grief and Loss
• Incompetency

جملات زیر نشان دهنده احساساتی است که شما بعد از رفتن فرزندان از خانه تجربه کرده اید. برای هر جمله لطفا بیشترین و نزدیکترین گزینه را در بخش پاسخنامه به احساسی که دارید با علامت ☒ مشخص کنید.

* Scoring the test: The sum score of items gives the score for each subscale. A higher score means having the ENS. The Reverse Scoring for Items 1, 4, 5, 6, 7.