DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDIGENOUS SYMPTOM CHECKLIST FOR CONVERSION DISORDER
Abstract
Objective: The aim of the study was to develop an indigenous symptom checklist of conversion disorder which would be representative of the Pakistani population.
Research Design: The inductive approach for constructing psychological tools.
Sample and Method: A list of 127 presenting complaints of patients with conversion disorder was collected from 41 clinical psychologists and psychiatrists. This list was then administered on 635 patients with conversion disorder (542 females & 93 males) presenting at 14 psychiatric facilities in Lahore, Pakistan. For test-retest reliability 50 patients with conversion disorder were administered the checklist on 1st, 3rd and 14th day of their admissions in Department of Psychiatry, Services hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.For discriminant validity, a sample of 100 patients presenting at Department of Dermatology, Services Hospital was compared with 193 patients at Department of Psychiatry, Services Hospital,Lahore.
Results: Factor Analysis was run using varimax rotation and kaisar normalization which reduced the list into five factors and 75 items. The reliability coefficient ranged from .58 to .84 significant at p< .01. The independent samples t-test showed significant difference in both the groups significant at p>.001.
Conclusion: The present study has provided with a preliminary tool. However, more research needs to be done to conduct confirmatory factor analysis which would also enhance the psychometric properties of the checklist.
