A hundred cases of parasuicide: IV validation of the Amharic Version of IDA-Scale at St. Paul’s General Specialised Referral Hospital, AA, Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstarct

Background: There is a need for a valid and reliable Amharic version (AV) of IDA-Scale whose sub-scales measure irritability (inward and outward directed), depression and anxiety. Irritability which had emerged to be an important distinguishing characteristic of parasuicide cases can be easily tapped with IDA- Scale which is cost-effective and quickly administered.

Objective: To test the validity and the reliability of each sub-scale.

Methods: Retrospective and prospective data were collected from a cohort of 100 consecutive parasuicide cases and each followed for a period of five years. Self-rated AV of IDA-Scale and interviewer-rated Expanded BPRS (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale) were administered. Each sub-scale was validated against the corresponding item/items on the Expanded BPRS. ROC curves were plotted for sub-scales to select the efficient cut-off scores. Reliability and validity tests were performed for each sub-scale.

Results: The coefficient of association (Yule’s Q) between depression, anxiety, extropunitiveness and intropunitiveness sub-scales and the corresponding item/items on Expanded BPRS were 0.83333 (p=0.0000), 0.72680 (p=0.00021), 0.49116 (p=0.01702) and 0.61821 (p=0.00029) respectively (all 2-tailed). One of the items of extropunitiveness sub-scale, IDA12, has low item-total correlation. This sub-scale, at its cut-off point, lacks the desired discriminating ability and could not manifest the expected relationship between PV+, specificity or positivity criterion. Its factor loading was also insignificant.

Conclusion: Depression, anxiety and intropunitiveness sub-scales showed acceptable validity and reliability. IDA12 has to be re-translated/re-written to keep the meaning as close to the original (English version) as possible and to ensure that terms are understood. Further validation of extropunitiveness sub-scale is advisable. In the meantime, the AV of IDA-Scale has to be applied clinically in vulnerable groups. [Ethiop.J.Health Dev. 2008;22(3):282-297]