Psychometric Evaluation of Adapted Transsexual Voice Questionnaire for Turkish Trans Male Individuals.

AIMS: This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the adapted transsexual voice questionnaire for male-to-female (a-TVQFtM) for trans male individuals in order to determine the suitability for use in research and clinical practice among Turkish trans male individuals. METHODS: This study was conducted by the Gender Dysphoria Clinic and Voice Clinic of a tertiary hospital referral center. The a-TVQFtM, voice-related quality of life, and self-perception of voice masculinity rating scale were administered to 50 trans male individuals, of whom 27 were hormone naïve and 23 were undergoing hormone treatment. Psychometric properties were investigated with reliability and validity analysis. RESULTS: The a-TVQFtM showed a strong internal consistency; the Cronbach's alpha coefficient for overall a-TVQFtM was 0.975, anxiety and avoidance factor was 0.948, vocal identity factor was 0.940, and vocal function factor was 0.923. No item needed to be deleted following adaptation. The a-TVQFtM scores showed a significant strong inverse correlation with the overall voice-related quality of life scores and the self-perception of voice masculinity rating (r = -0.863, r = -0.715, and P<0.001, respectively). The a-TVQFtM scores were significantly reduced in trans male individuals undergoing hormone treatment when compared with hormone naïve individuals. CONCLUSION: Although not specifically designed for trans male individuals, the current results provide confidence as to the psychometric properties of a-TVQFtM and, therefore, its suitability for use with Turkish trans male individuals.

[A Meta-Analysis of Efficacy of Carbon Dioxide Inhalation as a Challenge Test in Panic Disorder]. / Panik Bozuklugunda Bir Kiskirtma Testi Olarak Karbondioksit Solumanin Etkinliginin Meta Analizi.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on whether patients with panic disorder (PD) and their healthy first-degree relatives have an increased sensitivity to carbon dioxide inhalation test compared to healthy controls (HC) or patients with psychiatric disorders other than panic disorder. METHOD: The databases of PubMed, EMBASE and PsycNET were searched using Boolean operators "panic AND carbon dioxide" and "panic AND CO2". Selected research articles were classified according to the carbon dioxide concentrations used in testing and the clinical characteristics of the samples. The assumption of heterogeneity across the studies was assessed by chi square based Q and I2 statistics. Publication biases were explored by Begg-Mazumdar's and Egger's tests in addition to funnel graphics. Odds ratios representing effect size of the carbon dioxide inhalation procedure were calculated according to fixed effect and random effect models after obtaining percent weight effects of each study. RESULTS: Meta-Analysis was conducted on 33 research studies that include 2114 participants totally. Participants with PD experienced significantly more frequent panic attacks (PA) compared to HC following in both 5% (OR=14.713, 95% CI 7.532 - 28.739) and 35% carbon dioxide inhalation (OR=11.507, 95% CI 7.775 - 17.031). HC who have a first-degree relative with PD experienced PA approximately 3 times more than HC who have not a first-degree relative with PD (OR=2.658, 95% CI 1.678 - 4.212) following carbon dioxide inhalation test. Participants with PD experienced significantly more frequent PA than the patients with other psychiatric disorders following the carbon dioxide inhalation test (OR = 3.524, 95% CI 1.945 - 6.384). CONCLUSION: There is an increased sensitivity of carbon dioxide inhalation in patients with PD and their healthy first-degree relatives. The role and possible mechanisms of carbon dioxide in etiology and physiopathology of PD should be studied extensively.

Awareness of identity alteration and diagnostic preference between borderline personality disorder and dissociative disorders.

AIM: This study inquires into identity alteration among college students and its relationship to borderline personality disorder (BPD) and/or dissociative disorders (DDs). METHODS: Steinberg Identity Alteration Questionnaire (SIAQ), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and self-report screening tool of the BPD section of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-BPD) were administered to 1301 college students. Participants who fit the diagnostic criteria of BPD (n = 80) according to the clinician-administered SCID-BPD and 111 non-BPD controls were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV DDs (SCID-D) by two psychiatrists blind to the group membership and scale scores. RESULTS: Test-retest evaluations and internal consistency analyses suggested that SIAQ was a reliable instrument. Of the participants, 11.3% reported a SIAQ score 25 or above alongside some impairment. SIAQ scores differentiated participants who fit the diagnostic criteria for a DD from those who did not. While self-report identity alteration was correlated with all childhood trauma types, clinician-assessed identity alteration was correlated with childhood sexual abuse only. Those who fit criteria for both disorders had the highest identity alteration scores in self-report and clinician-assessment. Although both syndromes had significant effect on self-report identity alteration total scores, in contrast to DD, BPD did not have an effect on the clinician-administered evaluation. CONCLUSION: An impression of personality disorder rather than a DD may seem more likely when identity alteration remains subtle in clinical assessment, notwithstanding its presence in self-report. Lack of recognition of identity alteration may lead to overdiagnosis of BPD among individuals who have a DD.

Depersonalization and derealization in self-report and clinical interview: The spectrum of borderline personality disorder, dissociative disorders, and healthy controls.

Depersonalization (DEP) and derealization (DER) were examined among college students with and without borderline personality disorder (BPD) and/or dissociative disorders (DDs) by self-report and clinician assessment. The Steinberg Depersonalization Questionnaire (SDEPQ), the Steinberg Derealization Questionnaire (SDERQ), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the screening tool of the BPD section of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-BPD) were administered to 1,301 students. Those with BPD (n = 80) according to the SCID-BPD and 111 non-BPD controls were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders by a psychiatrist blind to the diagnosis. Of the participants, 19.7% reported SDEPQ (17.8%) and/or SDERQ (11.0%) scores above cutoff levels and impairment from these experiences. Principal component analysis of 26 items of both scales yielded 4 factors: cognitive-emotional self-detachment, perceptual detachment, bodily self-detachment, and detachment from reality. Participants with concurrent DD and BPD had the highest scores for DEP and DER in the clinical interview and self-report. The total number of BPD criteria was associated with the severity of childhood trauma and dissociation. Both BPD and DD were associated with clinician-assessed and self-reported DER, self-reported DEP, and the cognitive-emotional self-detachment factor. Unlike BPD, DD was associated with clinician-assessed DEP, and BPD was related to the self-reported detachment from reality factor. Although the latter was correlated with the total childhood trauma score, possibly because of dissociative amnesia, clinician-assessed DER was not. Being the closest factor to BPD, the factor of detachment from reality warrants further study.

Dissociative amnesia in dissociative disorders and borderline personality disorder: self-rating assessment in a college population.

Dissociative amnesia (DA) among subjects with a dissociative disorder and/or borderline personality disorder (BPD) recruited from a nonclinical population was examined. The Steinberg Dissociative Amnesia Questionnaire (SDAQ), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the self-report screening tool of the BPD section of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV(SCID-BPD) were administered to 1,301 college students. A total of 80 participants who were diagnosed with BPD according to the clinician-administered SCID-BPD and 111 nonborderline controls were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D) by a psychiatrist blind to diagnosis and scale scores. Internal consistency analyses and test-retest evaluations suggested that the SDAQ is a reliable instrument for the population studied. Of the participants, 20.6% reported an SDAQ score of 20 or above and impairment by DA. Those who had both dissociative disorder and BPD (n = 78) had the highest SDAQ scores. Both disorders had significant effects on the SCID-D total and amnesia scores in the variance analysis. On SDAQ scores, however, only BPD had this effect. There was a significant interaction between the 2 disorders for the SCID-D total but not for the SDAQ or SCID-D amnesia scores. BPD represented the severity of dissociation and childhood trauma in this study group. However, in contrast to the dissociative disorders, BPD was characterized by better awareness of DA in self-report. The discrepancies between self-report and clinical interview associated with BPD and dissociative disorders are discussed in the context of betrayal theory (J. J. Freyd, 1994) of BPD and perceptual theory (D. B. Beere, 2009) of dissociative disorders.

Experiences of possession and paranormal phenomena among women in the general population: are they related to traumatic stress and dissociation?

This study sought to determine the prevalence of experiences of possession and paranormal phenomena (PNP) in the general population and their possible relations to each other and to traumatic stress and dissociation. The study was conducted on a representative female sample recruited from a town in central eastern Turkey. The Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule, the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder sections of the Structured Clinical Interviews for DSM-IV Axis-I and Personality Disorders, and the Childhood Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire were administered to 628 women. Of these, 127 (20.2%) women reported at least 1 type of PNP and 13 (2.1%) women reported possession. Women with a dissociative disorder reported all types of possession and PNP (except telepathy) more frequently than those without. Whereas women with a trauma history in childhood and adulthood or PTSD reported possession more frequently than those without, PNP were associated with childhood trauma only. Factor analysis yielded 4 dimensions: possession by and/or contact with nonhuman entities, extrasensory communications, possession by a human entity, and precognition. These factors correlated with number of secondary features of dissociative identity disorder and Schneiderian symptoms. Latent class analysis identified 3 groups. The most traumatized group, with predominantly dissociative and trauma-related disorders, had the highest scores on all factors. Notwithstanding their presence in healthy individuals, possession and PNP were associated with trauma and dissociation in a subgroup of affected participants. Both types of experience seem to be normal human capacities of experiencing that may be involved in response to traumatic stress. Given the small numbers, this study should be considered preliminary.

Dissociative depression among women in the community.

This study screened the prevalence and correlates of dissociative disorders among depressive women in the general population. The Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule and the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder sections of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV were administered to 628 women in 500 homes. The prevalence of current major depressive episode was 10.0%. Of the women, 26 (40.6%) had the lifetime diagnosis of a DSM-IV, dissociative disorder, yielding a prevalence of 4.1% for dissociative depression. This group was younger (mean age = 30.7 years) than the nondissociative depression women (mean age = 39.6 years). There was no difference between the 2 groups on comorbid somatization disorder, PTSD, or borderline personality disorder. Besides suicide attempts, the dissociative group was characterized by secondary features of dissociative identity disorder; Schneiderian symptoms; borderline personality disorder criteria; and extrasensory perceptions, including possession experiences. They reported suicidality, thoughts of guilt and worthlessness, diminished concentration and indecisiveness, and appetite and weight changes more frequently than the nondissociative group. Early cessation of school education and childhood sexual abuse were frequently reported by the dissociative depression group. With its distinct features, the concept of dissociative depression may facilitate understanding of treatment resistance in, development of better psychotherapy strategies for, and new thinking on the neurobiology and pharmacotherapy of depressive disorders.