Psychometric analysis of the brief symptom inventory 18 (BSI-18) in a representative German sample

Gabriele Helga Franke,Katja Petrowski,Claus Barkmann,Heide Glaesmer,Elmar Braehler,Susanne Jaeger

doi:10.1186/s12874-016-0283-3

Abstract

BackgroundThe BSI-18 contains the three six-item scales somatization, depression, and anxiety as well as the Global Severity Index (GSI), including all 18 items. The BSI-18 is the latest and shortest of the multidimensional versions of the Symptom-Checklist 90-R, but its psychometric properties have not been sufficiently clarified yet.MethodsBased on a representative sample of N = 2516 participants (aged 14–94 years), detailed psychometric analyses were carried out.ResultsThe internal consistency was good: Somatization α = .82, Depression α = .87, Anxiety α = .84 and GSI α = .93. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three scales as second-order and GSI as first-order factors. The model fit based on RMSEA is good but that model fit based on CFI and TLI are too low.ConclusionsTherefore, it is a very short, reliable instrument for the assessment of psychological distress. The BSI-18 can be used to reliably assess psychological distress in the general population. However, further studies need to evaluate the usefulness of standardization in clinical samples.

Highlights

The Brief Symptom Inventory with 18 items (BSI-18) contains the three six-item scales somatization, depression, and anxiety as well as the Global Severity Index (GSI), including all 18 items
The Brief Symptom Inventory with 53 items was developed by Derogatis using a factor analysis and maintaining the scale structure with the reduced item number of the SCL-90-R
In order to reduce and prevent an overload to the patients and to ensure an easy screening-tool, the Brief Symptom Inventory with items (BSI)-18 was developed with highest clinical relevance

Summary

Introduction

The BSI-18 contains the three six-item scales somatization, depression, and anxiety as well as the Global Severity Index (GSI), including all 18 items. The SCL-90 [16, 21, 22] is the most used questionnaire for the assessment of psychological distress, especially in clinical practice [45] It is a very long and time-consuming questionnaire, which is why two Brief Symptom Inventory versions of the Symptom Checklist SCL-90-R were developed [12, 18, 20, 21]: the Brief Symptom Inventory with 53 items (BSI; [13, 17, 19, 23]), which measures psychological distress, and its shortened version, the Brief Symptom Inventory with 18 items (BSI-18; [11, 14, 24]). The Brief Symptom Inventory with 53 items was developed by Derogatis using a factor analysis and maintaining the scale structure with the reduced item number of the SCL-90-R (somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, anger-hostility, phobic anxiety paranoid ideation and psychoticism). This instrument is used in longitudinal studies [5, 6, 37]

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