Validation of the structured interview for disorders of extreme stress

There is a dearth of valid instruments to evaluate the primary sequelae of sexual abuse. The present study examined the construct validity of the subscales of the Structured Interview for Disorders of Extreme Stress (SIDES), a measure of the associated features of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using a clinical sample of 74 survivors of childhood sexual abuse with PTSD, this study demonstrated that the subscales of the SIDES (alterations in regulation of affect and impulses, alterations in attention or consciousness, alterations in self-perception, and somatization) correlated highly with instruments hypothesized to measure similar constructs. Divergent validity was established for each of four subscales of the SIDES. Findings from this study and other research on the psychometrics of the SIDES indicate that it is a valid measure of the associated features of PTSD in survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.