Development and validation of the somatic symptom disorder scale: A multicenter study

DURUK B., Sertel Berk Ö.

Acta Psychologica, cilt.264, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 264
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106543
  • Dergi Adı: Acta Psychologica
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Periodicals Index Online, Linguistic Bibliography, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: DSM-5, Multicenter study, Self-report scale, Somatic symptom disorder, Somatoform disorders
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

ObjectiveThis study developed and validated the Somatic Symptom Disorder Scale (SSDS) to assess Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD)–related psychological symptom severity consistent with DSM-5.MethodsPsychometric analyses were conducted using three samples: (a) an outpatient clinical group (N = 314), (b) a matched nonclinical sample for known-groups validity (N = 80), and (c) a separate nonclinical university sample for test–retest reliability (N = 73). Reliability, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and convergent and known-groups validity were evaluated.ResultsThe SSDS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.94 total; 0.89–0.93 subscales). Test–retest reliability conducted in a nonclinical university sample (N = 73) indicated strong temporal stability over a two-week interval for the total score (r = 0.83, p < .001) and the Cognitive (r = 0.83, p < .001), Affective (r = 0.77, p < .001), and Behavioral (r = 0.76, p < .001) subscales. EFA supported a three-factor, 33-item structure, which CFA confirmed with acceptable fit (χ2/df = 2.2, RMSEA = 0.063, CFI = 0.90, SRMR = 0.059). Convergent validity was supported through significant correlations with PHQ-15, PHQ-9, GAD-7, WI-7, and SSAS (r = 0.32–0.58, p < .001). Known-groups validity indicated that outpatients had significantly higher SSDS scores than nonclinical university students (t(39) = −8.84, p < .001).ConclusionThe SSDS showed promising reliability and validity for assessing DSM-5–consistent psychological features of SSD. Its overall psychometric properties suggest that it may be useful in both clinical and research contexts.