Dissociation in non-clinical and clinical sample of Czech adolescents. Reliability and validity of the Czech version of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine psychometric properties of the Czech language version of the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES) [2].Method653 non-clinical participants and 162 adolescent psychiatric inpatients completed Czech versions of the A-DES and the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20), and provided further information (data regarding demographic variables, diagnoses, further psychopathology).ResultsThe Czech A-DES has very good internal consistency, test-retest reliability and a good validity, though its predictive power is limited. The ADES scores significantly correlate with the measure of somatoform dissociation, a presence of clinician-observed dissociative symptoms, reported traumatic experiences, self injurious behavior, and polysymptomatic diagnostic picture. A-DES scores were significantly higher in ADHD group, but not in a group with a diagnosis of a dissociative disorder.ConclusionThe authors stress that all adolescent psychiatric patients who show more complex behavioral disturbances, have histories of trauma, show self-injurious behaviors or have ADHD diagnosis should be screened for dissociation.