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The Numbing Scale: psychometric properties, a preliminary report
Anxiety
|January 1, 1994
Summary
The Glover Numbing Scale effectively measures emotional numbing in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This new scale shows strong reliability and validity for clinical use in assessing PTSD symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Emotional numbing is a common symptom in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- A validated instrument is needed to assess these numbing behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the psychometric properties of The Glover Numbing Scale.
- To assess the reliability and validity of the scale in a veteran population.
Main Methods:
- The Glover Numbing Scale was administered to various veteran groups, including those with PTSD, and psychiatric/non-psychiatric controls.
- Reliability (internal consistency, test-retest) and validity (convergent, discriminant, factorial) were assessed.
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) scales were used for validation.
Main Results:
- The scale demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest correlations.
- Factorial validity was supported by a five-factor solution.
- Numbing Scale scores differentiated psychopathology levels in veterans, with PTSD outreach veterans' scores resembling anxiety disorder patients more than major depressive disorder patients.
Conclusions:
- The Glover Numbing Scale is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing emotional numbing.
- Findings support the clinical application of the Numbing Scale in veteran populations, particularly for PTSD.
- The scale aids in differentiating psychopathology and understanding numbing symptoms.