Psychological assessment of patients with temporomandibular disorders: confirmatory analysis of the dimensional structure of the Brief Symptoms Inventory 18.
OBJECTIVE
This article analyzes the psychometric and structural properties of the Brief Symptoms Inventory 18 in a sample of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), given the convenience of a brief evaluation of distress in these patients.


METHODS
Confirmatory factor analysis was carried out in a sample of 114 patients with TMDs. Two models were tested: the theoretical model with the original structure proposed--which considers three dimensions--and the empirical model obtained through the exploratory factor analysis initially carried out by Leonard R. Derogatis--which consists of the four-factor structure.


RESULTS
Both models reached satisfactory indexes in confirmatory factor analysis. Empirical and theoretical reasons led us to prefer the original proposal of three dimensions: somatization, depression and anxiety, and general distress.


CONCLUSIONS
The Brief Symptoms Inventory 18 has been demonstrated to be a reliable and valid tool for the assessment of distress in patients with TMDs, with the advantage of its simplicity and ease of application.
Durá
Estrella
E
Department of Personality, Assessment, and Psychological Treatment, Valencia University, Blasco Ibañez 21, Spain.
Andreu
Yolanda
Y
Galdón
Maria J
MJ
Ferrando
Maite
M
Murgui
Sergio
S
Poveda
Rafael
R
Jimenez
Yolanda
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010555:Personality Inventory; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*