The Scoring and Interpretation of the SDQ-20 and SDQ-5

Ellert R S Nijenhuis

doi:10.1007/bf03379561

Abstract

Abstract The 20-item Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20; Nijenhuis, Spinhoven, Van Dyck, Van der Hart, & Van-derlinden, 1996) evaluates the severity of somatoform dissociation. The SDQ-20 items were derived from a pool of 75 items describing clinically observed somatoform dissociative symptoms that in clinical settings had appeared upon reactivation of particular dissociative parts of the personality and that could not be medically explained. The SDQ-20 scores were best predicted by self-reported physical and sexual traumatization in patients with dissociative disorders and psychiatric controls (Nijenhuis et al., 1998c), even after statistically controlling for self-reported emotional traumatization (emotional neglect and emotional abuse). These traumatization scores were composed of four factors, i.e. presence of trauma, duration of trauma, relationship to perpetrator, and subjectively rated impact of trauma.

Highlights

The 20-item Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20; Nijenhuis, Spinhoven, Van Dyck, Van der Hart, & Vanderlinden, 1996) evaluates the severity of somatoform dissociation
The SDQ-20 items were derived from a pool of 75 items describing clinically observed somatoform dissociative symptoms that in clinical settings had appeared upon reactivation of particular dissociative parts of the personality and that could not be medically explained
SCORING The items are supplied with a Likert-type 5-point scale, ranging from "1 = this applies to me NOT AT ALL" to "5 = this applies to me EXTREMELY." The respondent is asked to indicate whether a physician has connected the symptom or bodily experience with a physical disease

Summary

Introduction

The 20-item Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20; Nijenhuis, Spinhoven, Van Dyck, Van der Hart, & Vanderlinden, 1996) evaluates the severity of somatoform dissociation. In our SDQ-studies, we have not adjusted the item scores when physical disease was indicated, as such indications often did not seem to be accurate. We suggest that the item scores are not adjusted for indicated physical disease when the SDQ-20 (or SDQ-5) is used for research purposes.

Results

Conclusion