title: Development and psychometric characteristics of the Dissociation Tension Scale.
abstract: The newly developed Dissoziations-Spannungs-Skala (Dissociation Tension Scale; DSS) is a self-rating instrument for the assessment of psychological and somatoform dissociative features (ranging from normal up to pathological) as well as aversive inner tension occurring within the past 7 days. The DSS contains 21 items assessing dissociative symptoms and 1 additional item assessing aversive inner tension. Ratings are made on a time-oriented scale ranging from 0% (never) to 100% (constantly). We measured the psychometric qualities of the DSS in a total of 294 patients and healthy controls. Internal consistency of the DSS was high (Cronbach's alpha = .92; Gutmann's split-half r = .92). We found good support for convergent, discriminant, and differential validity. There was clear evidence for the DSS being a sensitive instrument for the assessment of changing symptomatology. Assessment of dissociation and other psychopathological features over the same period of time are now possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Psychology, Freie University Berlin, Berlin, Germany. christian stiglmayr@web.de
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stiglmayr
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schimke
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Braakmann
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schweiger
authors.forename: Valerija
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sipos
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fydrich
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmahl
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ebner-Priemer
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kleindienst
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bischkopf
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Auckenthaler
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kienast
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult