Development and validation of the Cognitive Inventory of Subjective Distress

Objectives Objectives This study was aimed at exploring some of the facets of psychological distress during aging, and at validating an inventory, the Cognitive Inventory of Subjective Distress (CISD) for assessing this kind of distress. Methods An inventory of thoughts representing distress schemas was administered to 298 elderly subjects living at home or in a center. Results Factor analyses suggested retaining 29 items. They explained 62% of the total variance and corresponded to seven distinct facets: abandonment, dependency, disengagement, fear of losing control, loss of individuality, refusal of help, and vulnerability. These dimensions turned out to be relatively independent of each other and moderately correlated with measures of depression and anxiety. The internal consistency and temporal reliability of the seven scales are good. Conclusion The CISD is an original tool for assessing psychological distress. It is geared to old and very old individuals living in a center for the elderly, and its design takes the fatiguability and cognitive heterogeneity of this population into account. This inventory can also be used for psychopathological assessment and can serve as a baseline for following patients over time or in the course of therapy. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.