On the factor structure of the dissociative experiences scale: Contribution with an Italian version of the DES-II

Aim of the study: Notwithstanding its clinical and empirical relevance, there is no consensus on how to conceptualize dissociation. This may be partly due to the conflicting results yielded on the factor structure of the gold-standard self-report measure of dissociation (the Dissociative Experiences Scale-Revised; DES-II, Carlson and Putnam, 1993). In an attempt to advance research on this topic, we sought to explore the factorial structure of an Italian version of the DES-II. Material and methods: A sample of 320 subjects (122 inmates and 198 community participants) was administered the Italian version of the DES-II. Results: The Italian version of the DES-II showed good psychometric properties and replicated a two-factor structure. Items content seemed to support the distinction into two qualitatively different forms of dissociative experiences, described as detachment and compartmentalization phenomena. In line with the expectations, participants in the inmate sample reported higher rates of dissociative experiences than community participants, on both dimensions. Conclusions: This study provides further support for the validity of the Italian version of the DES-II for use with community and inmate samples. Furthermore, we corroborated previous evidence on a two-factor structure of the DES-II, which is consistent with theoretical assumptions describing two distinct, albeit overlapping, dissociative dimensions (i.e., detachment and compartmentalization).