Assessment of Sexuality Following Traumatic Brain Injury: Validation of the Brain Injury Questionnaire of Sexuality

Background: The importance of effectively identifying and managing sexuality issues following acquired brain injury is being increasingly recognized within clinical and research domains. However, a tool specifically developed to measure sexuality following brain injury is yet to be validated. Objectives: In this study, the reliability and validity of the Brain Injury Questionnaire of Sexuality (BIQS) was evaluated. Method: Eight hundred and sixty-five people who had sustained traumatic brain injury participated in this study. All participants completed the BIQS, and a subsample also completed the Derogatis Interview for Sexual Functioning-Self-Report version (DISF-SR). Results: Exploratory factor analysis supported a 3-subscale structure of the BIQS, which aligns with contemporary conceptual models of sexuality in chronic disease. All subscales of the BIQS demonstrated very good internal consistency. Convergent and divergent validity of all BIQS subscales was also demonstrated. Conclusions: Results from the study support the reliability and validity of the BIQS, which shows promise as a measurement tool for future traumatic brain injury sexuality research. Further validation work including evaluation for potential clinical applications is encouraged.