The Skin Picking Scale-Revised: Factor structure and psychometric properties

The Skin Picking Scale (SPS; Keuthen et al., 2001) is a 6-item self-report measure of skin picking disorder (SPD) severity. The current study reports on a psychometric evaluation of a revised eight-item version of the scale (the Skin Picking Scale-Revised; SPS-R). Participants were 652 responders to an Internet survey who met criteria for SPD. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed two factors, one assessing impairment and the other symptom severity (4 items each). Both factors demonstrated high internal consistency and convergent/concurrent and discriminant validity. Potential advantages of the SPS-R compared to the original version include elimination of an ambiguous item, improved psychometric properties (e.g. clearer factor structure), and a more comprehensive assessment of the SPD symptom profile.

► We examined the psychometric properties of the Skin Picking Scale-Revised (SPS-R).
► Factor analyses showed two factors: Impairment and Symptom severity.
► The two factors had high internal consistency and discriminant and convergent/divergent validity.
► SPS-R may have several advantages over the original Skin Picking Scale.