Comparative Content Analysis of Self-Report Scales for Level of Personality Functioning

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Psychology
• Clinical Assessment
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Personality disorders (PD) are complex mental health conditions.
• Assessing the severity of PD is crucial for effective treatment.
• The Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) provides a framework for understanding PD severity through Level of Personality Functioning (LPF) constructs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct content validity analyses of eight self-report instruments designed to assess LPF.
• To evaluate how well these instruments cover the core LPF constructs (Identity, Self-Direction, Empathy, Intimacy) and pathological personality trait domains.
• To inform the selection of appropriate instruments for research and clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• Content validity of eight self-report instruments was analyzed using the AMPD conceptual scheme.
• Item content was characterized for LPF constructs (ID, SD, EM, IN) and pathological trait domains.
• Inter-rater reliability was assessed, and similarity between instrument construct profiles was quantified using intraclass correlations (ICC).

Main Results:

• Raters demonstrated robust agreement in assessing AMPD and severity of pathology (SV) constructs across instruments.
• Instruments generally exhibited similar coverage of AMPD constructs, though notable differences were identified.
• Subscales were characterized for their reflection of the four LPF domain constructs, revealing varying proportions of construct coverage.

Conclusions:

• Content validity comparisons clarify the equivalence of instruments for AMPD constructs.
• Understanding the relative construct coverage within instrument subscales is essential.
• These findings guide clinicians and researchers in selecting suitable LPF self-report instruments for practice and future studies.