Validation of the Italian version of the dissociative experience scale for adolescents and young adults.
Concetta De Pasquale, Federica Sciacca, Zira Hichy
Annals of General Psychiatry November 10, 2016 DOI: 10.1186/s12991-016-0120-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Validation study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 633 |
| Population | Italian students (282 boys, 351 girls, average age 18-24) recruited from public schools and universities in Sicily |
| Duration | Data collected March 2015 to April 2016 |
| Measures | Dissociative Experience Scale for adolescents (A-DES) |
| Keywords | Scale Validation Questionnaire Adolescents Young adults Dissociative experience A-des |
| Key points | The Italian version of the A-DES showed high internal reliability for the total scale (.926), with subscale reliabilities of .756 (dissociative amnesia), .659 (absorption and imaginative involvement), .850 (depersonalization and derealization), and .743 (passive influence). The authors conclude it is a useful instrument for measuring dissociative experiences in Italian adolescents and young adults. |
Abstract
Background: The Dissociative Experience Scale for adolescent (A-DES), a 30-item, multidimensional, self-administered questionnaire, was validated using a large sample of American young people sample. We reported the linguistic validation process and the metric validity of the Italian version of A-DES in the Italy.
Methods: A set of questionnaires was provided to a total of 633 participants from March 2015 to April 2016. The participants consisted of 282 boys and 351 girls, and their average age was between 18 and 24 years old. The translation process consisted of two consecutive steps: forward-backward translation and acceptability testing. The psychometric testing was applied to Italian students who were recruited from the Italian Public Schools and Universities in Sicily. Informed consent was obtained from all participants at the research. All individuals completed the A-DES. Reliability and validity were tested.
Results: The translated version was validated on a total of 633 Italian students. The reliability of A-DES total is .926. It is composed by 4 subscales: Dissociative amnesia, Absorption and imaginative involvement, Depersonalization and derealization, and Passive influence. The reliability of each subscale is: .756 for dissociative amnesia, .659 for absorption and imaginative involvement, .850 for depersonalization and derealization, and .743 for passive influence.
Conclusions: The Italian version of the A-DES constitutes a useful instrument to measure dissociative experience in adolescents and young adults in Italy.