A preliminary study of Patient Dignity Inventory validation among patients hospitalized in an acute psychiatric ward.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the perception of dignity among patients hospitalized in a psychiatric setting using the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI), which had been first validated in oncologic field among terminally ill patients.


METHODS
After having modified two items, we administered the Italian version of PDI to all patients hospitalized in a public psychiatric ward (Service of Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment of a northern Italian town), who provided their consent and completed it at discharge, from October 21, 2015 to May 31, 2016. We excluded minors and patients with moderate/severe dementia, with poor knowledge of Italian language, who completed PDI in previous hospitalizations and/or were hospitalized for <72 hours. We collected the demographic and clinical variables of our sample (n=135). We statistically analyzed PDI scores, performing Cronbach's alpha coefficient and principal factor analysis, followed by orthogonal and oblique rotation. We concomitantly administered to our sample other scales (Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression and Anxiety, Global Assessment of Functioning and Health of the Nation Outcome Scales) to analyze the PDI concurrent validity.


RESULTS
With a response rate of 93%, we obtained a mean PDI score of 48.27 (±19.59 SD) with excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient =0.93). The factorial analysis showed the following three factors with eigenvalue >1 (Kaiser's criterion), which explained >80% of total variance with good internal consistency: 1) "Loss of self-identity and social role", 2) "Anxiety and uncertainty for future" and 3) "Loss of personal autonomy". The PDI and the three-factor scores were statistically significantly positively correlated with the Hamilton Scales for Depression and Anxiety but not with other scale scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary research suggests that PDI can be a reliable tool to assess patients' dignity perception in a psychiatric setting, until now little investigated, helping professionals to improve quality of care and patients to accept treatments.
Mental Health Department, Service of Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment in NOCSAE General Hospital.
Rosaria
R
Di Lorenzo
Private Accredited Psychiatric Hospital villa Igea, Modena.
Giulio
G
Cabri
Nursing Home of Rubiera, Reggio Emilia.
Eleonora
E
Carretti
Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
Giacomo
G
Galli
Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
Nina
N
Giambalvo
Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
Giulia
G
Rioli
Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
Serena
S
Saraceni
Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
Giulia
G
Spiga
PhD Statistics Unit, Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health Medicine.
Cinzia
C
Del Giovane
Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Paola
P
Ferri
Patient Dignity Inventory; dignity distress measurement; dignity experience; factor analysis; patients hospitalized in a psychiatric ward; validation study