The psychometric properties of a shortened version of the Spanish adolescent dissociative experiences scale

The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a Spanish translation of an eight-item version of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (ADES-8). The eight items were selected to assess pathological forms of dissociative experiences. The scale was administered to a representative sample of 459 medically indigent adolescents, ages 11 to 17, who received mental health services in Puerto Rico. Results indicated that the ADES-8 demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability. As expected, most adolescents evidenced very low scores, with nearly half (46%) scoring zero. The scale showed expected patterns of convergent validity with variables that are hypothesized to be related to dissociative disorders, such as psychiatric impairment, comorbidity, and abusive experiences. Logistic regression analyses suggested that a cutoff score of three on the ADES-8 was the best screening rule for identifying persons with higher values on the convergent validity variables. The findings provide support for the clinical and research promise of the ADES-8 as a screening instrument for dissociative disorders in referred youths.