Measuring ICD-11 Adjustment Disorder: The Development and Initial Validation of the International Adjustment Disorder Questionnaire

Shevlin, Mark; Hyland, Philip; Ben-Ezra, Menachem; Karatzias, Thanos; Cloitre, Maryl�ne; Valli�res, Fr�d�rique; Bachem, Rahel; Maercker, Andreas

Abstract

Background: Adjustment disorder (AjD) is one of the most frequently used diagnoses in psychiatry but a diagnostic definition for AjD was only introduced in release of the ICD-11. This study sought to develop and validate a new measure operationalizing the ICD-11’s narrative description of AjD, and to determine the current rate of people meeting the symptoms indicative of AjD in the general population of the Republic of Ireland.
Methods: The International Adjustment Disorder Questionnaire (IADQ) was constructed to measure the core diagnostic criteria of ICD-11 AjD: stressor exposure, preoccupations with, and failure to adapt to, the stressor, timing of symptom onset, and functional impairment. A nationally representative sample (N = 1,020) of adults from Ireland completed the IADQ.
Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported construct validity and the reliability estimates were excellent. The IADQ correlated strongly with depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. The criteria were met by 7.0% of the sample, adjusted for other exclusionary disorders.
Discussion: The IADQ is a measure based on the ICD-11’s description and produces reliable scores, however it should not be used for clinical assessment until validated with clinical interviews.

Citation

Shevlin, M., Hyland, P., Ben-Ezra, M., Karatzias, T., Cloitre, M., Vallières, F., Bachem, R., & Maercker, A. (2020). Measuring ICD-11 Adjustment Disorder: The Development and Initial Validation of the International Adjustment Disorder Questionnaire. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 141(3), 265-274. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13126

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 10, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Nov 12, 2019
• Publication Date: 2020-03
• Deposit Date: Nov 12, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2020
• Journal: Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
• Print ISSN: 0001-690X
• Electronic ISSN: 1600-0447
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 141
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 265-274
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13126
• Keywords: Adjustment disorder (AjD); ICD-11; The International Adjustment Disorder Questionnaire
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2314096