The Validation of the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-8 among Vietnamese University Students

Introduction: The research conducted across diverse cultures and populations has demonstrated a significant correlation between negative beliefs and thoughts and psychological issues, particularly depression. Method: The current study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Vietnamese version of the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-8 (ATQ-8) in assessing negative automatic thoughts and their impact on depressive symptoms. A convenience sampling method utilizing a cross-sectional descriptive design was employed to recruit 1,066 university students from Northern, Central, and Southern Vietnam. All participants completed the ATQ-8 and the Depression subscale (DASS-21-D) of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The psychometric evaluation was conducted using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, along with assessments of internal consistency and demographic comparisons to ensure reliability and validity. Results: The findings from the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) support a one-factor structure for the ATQ-8 (χ²/df = 4.376, GFI = .987, CFI = .993, TLI = .985, RMSEA = .056, PCLOSE = .224). The ATQ-8 demonstrated excellent internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .936, and item-total correlation values for all items exceeding .300. The significant differences in mean ATQ-8 scores were observed based on gender, region, and academic performance. The automatic negative thoughts were found to have a substantial effect on depressive symptoms (R² = .598, p < .001), which aligns with Beck's cognitive model of depression. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the Vietnamese ATQ-8 is a valid instrument for evaluating the negative automatic thoughts among university students and shows promise for application in both research and clinical settings.