Measuring symptom occurrence and symptom distress: development of the symptom experience index.
OBJECTIVE
This paper is a report of a study to assess reliability and construct validity of revised and refined version of the Adapted Symptom Distress Scale: the Symptom Experience Index (SEI).


BACKGROUND
The development of the SEI, a 41-item Likert Scale assessing 20 symptoms, was based on self-regulation theory and an integrative conceptual analysis of symptom assessment and management. The model emphasizes the difference between the occurrence of a symptom (or multiple symptoms) and the distress (emotional) response to the occurrence of a symptom. It is the distress from symptom occurrence that promotes a person to take action and use known coping strategies to prevent the symptom occurrence or alleviate the distress from the symptom.


METHODS
A contrast-group and test-retest approach was used to assess construct validity and reliability with a convenience sample of 158 patients at United States of America in 2003-2004.


RESULTS
The SEI demonstrated reasonable internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.91 for symptom experience, 0.85 for symptom occurrence and 0.84 for symptom distress. Test-retest reliability was supported by high intra-class correlation coefficients (symptom experience r = 0.93; symptom occurrence r = 0.94; symptom distress, r = 0.92). Construct validity was supported by statistically significant differences between patients and healthy adults.


CONCLUSIONS
The SEI can be used as a baseline and outcome measure to assess the impact of multiple symptoms on patients, and the effectiveness of interventions to manage these symptoms.
Fu
Mei R
MR
College of Nursing, New York University, New York, USA. mf67@nyu.edu
McDaniel
Roxanne W
RW
Rhodes
Verna A
VA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004194:Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States