Citation

Heeb JL, Gutjahr E, Gulfi A, Dransart DAC. Swiss J. Psychol. 2011; 70(2): 105-111.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Verlag Hans Huber)

DOI

10.1024/1421-0185/a000044

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study addresses the psychometric properties, including the internal consistency and dimensionality, of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) in French-speaking mental health and social professionals in Switzerland faced with a patient suicide. Data were obtained by a self-administered questionnaire from a sample of 297 individuals who had experienced a patient suicide during the previous 5 years. The internal consistency of the IES-R and its subscales was high (α coefficients between 0.82 and 0.91) as were the correlations between the subscores (coefficients between 0.54 and 0.69). The dimensionality of the IES-R was best captured by a three-factor structure accounting for 53.0% of the total variance, with four theoretical intrusion items loading on the hyperarousal factor. The intrusion subscale contributed to more than half of the total score. Variations in the total score were associated with age and profession, while no significant association was found with professional experience, length of time since the patient suicide, or number of patient suicides. The French version of the IES-R is an adequate and reliable instrument for addressing the impact of a patient suicide on mental health and social professionals. Its dimensionality is consistent with the theoretical structure of the original version. © 2011 Verlag Hans Huber, Hogrefe AG, Bern.

Language: en

Keywords

Mental health professionals; Psychometric analysis; Patient suicide; Social professionals; Impact of event Scale-Revised (IES-R)