Assessing Insomnia in Prisoners: A Psychometric Evaluation of the Athens Insomnia Scale

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Athens Insomnia Scale, a widely used measure for assessing insomnia symptoms, in male prisoners. A total of 584 Chinese male prisoners completed questionnaires comprising the AIS and several criterion measures. Both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to test its factor structure. Convergent and discriminant validity were examined using Pearson’s correlation coefficients of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, General Health Condition, Patient Health Questionnaire, and General Anxiety Disorder measures. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s αs. A two-factor model of the AIS demonstrated the best fit to the data, with correlations between the scores of the AIS and criterion scales showing evidence of good convergent and discriminant validity. The AIS demonstrates a two-factor structure and good psychometric properties. It is a suitable tool for assessing insomnia in Chinese male prisoners.