Premium
The Maternal Disintegrative Responses Scale (MDRS): Development and initial validation
Author(s) -
Chasson Miriam,
Taubman – BenAri Orit
Publication year - 2023
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/jclp.23414
Subject(s) - psychology , dissociative disorders , edinburgh postnatal depression scale , dissociative , clinical psychology , dissociative experiences scale , conceptualization , psychometrics , psychiatry , developmental psychology , anxiety , psychosis , depressive symptoms , schizotypy , artificial intelligence , computer science
Abstract Objective This study aimed to design and examine the validity of the Maternal Disintegrative Responses Scale (MDRS) to assess intrusive thoughts and dissociative experiences in the postpartum period. Method A convenience sample of 455 mothers whose babies were up to 12 months old completed the MDRS and a series of questionnaires assessing postnatal depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS]), childbirth‐related post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD), and general symptoms of dissociation. Results The final scale consists of eight items tapping two dimensions, intrusive thoughts and dissociative experiences, and displays good psychometric properties. Both factors were found to be related to EPDS, PTSD OCD, and general symptoms of dissociation. Primiparous women scored higher than multiparous women on both dimensions, and mothers of infants up to 3 months old scored higher on dissociative experiences than those whose infants were aged 4–12 months. Conclusions The MDRS can contribute to the theoretical and practical conceptualization and assessment of these phenomena.