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Assessing pathological Detoxification Fear among methadone maintenance patients: The DFSS
Author(s) -
Milby Jesse B.,
Gurwitch Robin H.,
Hohmann Ann A.,
Wiebe Deborah J.,
Ling Walter,
McLellan A. Thomas,
Woody George E.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(198709)43:5<528::aid-jclp2270430517>3.0.co;2-2
Subject(s) - psychology , clinical psychology , psychometrics , confirmatory factor analysis , construct validity , test validity , psychiatry , structural equation modeling , statistics , mathematics
This study assessed the reliability, validity, discriminative accuracy, and factor structure of the Detoxification Fear Survey Schedule (DFSS). Prevalence of detoxification fear and its correlates also were assessed. Random samples from three geographically, culturally, and racially disparate populations ( N = 271) of treated opioid addicts were used. The DFSS had a test‐retest r = .935 and demonstrated several indicants of validity. A briefer version (DFSS‐14) showed superior psychometric properties and could identify correctly 81% of detox fear subjects while it excluded 55% of nonfear subjects. The DFSS‐14 had a replicated three‐factor structure that accounted for 62.1% of total item variance in the validation sample. Factor two, probably best named dose reduction fear, was replicated in all populations. A cut‐off score set at the nonfear mean is recommended for clinical use. A brief clinical interview of positive scorers quickly should eliminate false positives and, thus, efficiently identify most of those with detoxification fear.