Psychometric properties of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale in a sample of Italian adolescents

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Italian translation of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES). A sample of 1,806 high-school students between the ages of 13 and 18 years, recruited in 6 Italian cities, completed the A-DES. The A-DES showed high internal consistency, excellent item-to-scale homogeneity, good split-half reliability, and a single-factor structure. The scores of the Italian adolescents were comparable to those found in previous research with the measure. No gender differences were found in mean A-DES scores, but boys and girls showed different patterns of responses on A-DES items. Age differences were also found, with 13- and 18-year-old students scoring higher on the measure than the other participants. A cluster analysis showed that participants could be consistently grouped into 2 clusters of low- and high-dissociative adolescents. This study supports the A-DES as a reliable and valid screening measure for dissociative symptoms in adolescents.

KEYWORDS:

• A-DES
• Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale
• adolescents
• dissociation
• reliability
• validity

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Vincenzo Caretti and Giuseppe Craparo, who gave expert input for the Italian translation of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale.