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Instrument to assess depersonalization-derealization in panic disorder
Brian J Cox1, Richard P Swinson
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada. coxbj@cc.umanitoba.ca
Depression and Anxiety
|July 12, 2002
Summary
Depersonalization-derealization (DD) experiences are common in panic disorder patients. A new 28-item Depersonalization-Derealization Inventory shows good reliability and validity for assessing these symptoms in clinical anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Depersonalization-derealization (DD) is a recognized phenomenon with historical scholarly interest, particularly concerning its link to clinical anxiety.
- Existing assessment instruments for DD are limited, especially for use with clinically anxious populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a self-report measure for assessing depersonalization-derealization experiences in clinically anxious patients.
- To address the paucity of suitable assessment tools for DD in this population.
Main Methods:
- Development and psychometric evaluation of a new item pool for assessing DD.
- Surveying 169 patients with panic disorder regarding their DD experiences.
- Administering the new item pool to the study sample for reliability and validity analysis.
Main Results:
- Depersonalization-derealization episodes were found to be common among patients with panic disorder.
- A 28-item Depersonalization-Derealization Inventory demonstrated good reliability and validity.
- The developed instrument appears suitable for assessing DD in panic disorder.
Conclusions:
- Depersonalization-derealization is prevalent and clinically relevant in panic disorder.
- The new Depersonalization-Derealization Inventory facilitates further research into DD.
- A 12-item version may serve as a brief screening tool for DD.