Psychometric properties of the pathological dissociation measures among Chinese – a pilot study using online methods

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Pathological dissociation (PD) is an easily overlooked phenomenon in the mental health field. Standardized assessment is important for identifying dissociative symptoms and disorders. However, the use of PD measures in Chinese cultures needs investigation. This pilot study investigated the psychometric properties of three PD measures among Hong Kong Chinese. Methods: The psychometric properties of the Dissociative Experiences Scale-Taxon, the 5-item Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire, and the Self-Report Version of the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule (SR-DDIS) were evaluated using online methods in Hong Kong. Results: The PD measures exhibited adequate to excellent internal consistency. The PD measures were negatively related to family support and can discriminate between participants with and without self-reported childhood abuse. There was excellent agreement between the online SR-DDIS results and the clinical diagnoses for presence of any dissociative disorder (DD) versus no DD. The DDs group scored significantly higher on PD measures than the depression group and the college student group. Discussion: The initial findings suggest that PD can be assessed online in Hong Kong. Further investigation is necessary.

KEYWORDS:

• Pathological dissociation
• mental health
• assessment
• validation
• online methods

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. John Wing Ling Tse for his support in the delinquency and dissociation research project; part of the data from that project was used in the present study.