Psychometric properties of the peritraumatic dissociative experiences questionnaire (PDEQ) in a sample of chilean firefighters

Abstract

The Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (PDEQ) is a widely used self-report measure to assess peritraumatic dissociation (PD). However, this scale has not yet been adapted or validated in Chile. The main objective of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the PDEQ in a sample of 736 Chilean firefighters. Furthermore, this study aimed to clarify the latent structure of PDEQ by comparing three models: the unidimensional model with 10 items (Marmar et al., 1997); the unidimensional model with eight items (Marshall et al., 2002); and the two-factor model (Altered Awareness and Derealization) with eight items (Brooks et al., 2009), as well as to test, to our knowledge for the first time. the measurement invariance across sex for PD. The total sample was divided in two subsampies (S1 and S2) to evaluate the psychometric properties. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to establish the factorial structure of the PDEQ in the first subsample (S1). The three models were analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis in the second subsample (S2). The invariance across sex according to the best-fitted model was also conducted in the S2. Internal consistency and the construct validity were also analyzed. Findings revealed a single dimension in the Si. For confirmatory factor analysis, the two-factor model (Alterred Awareness and Derealization) was the best-fitting model. This model showed strong invariance across sex and presented adequate psychometric properties. The Chilean Spanish PDEQ version reveals to be a valid, reliable, and invariant measure across sex for the Chilean firefighter population.