Measuring the ICD ‐11 adjustment disorder concept: Validity and sensitivity to change of the Adjustment Disorder – New Module questionnaire in a clinical intervention study

This study presents a validation of the Adjustment Disorder – New Module (ADNM), the first symptom severity measure for AjD according to the ICD‐11 concept. Validity and sensitivity to change were investigated in a sample of 190 individuals with a DSM‐IV diagnosis of AjD. The ADNM scales demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity for anxiety symptoms (Hamilton Anxiety Scale; psychic anxiety r = 0.18–0.31), functional impairment (Sheehan Disability Scale; r = 0.18–0.47), and depression (Montgomery–Asberg Depression Scale; r = 0.13–0.30). At baseline 78% of the individuals with a DSM‐IV diagnosis of AjD were also classified so by the ADNM. Repeated‐measures ANOVA indicated significant ADNM‐symptom decrease during treatment, replicating the patterns of the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Sheehan Disability Scale, and Clinical Global Impression Scale. This article presents the first use of the ADNM as a measure for ICD‐11 AjD in a randomized‐controlled intervention study of AjD. It provides support for the construct validity and sensitivity to symptom change of this scale during pharmacological treatment.
Source: International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research