Development and Validation of an Inventory of Ego Functions and Self Regulation (Hannover Self-Regulation Inventory, HSRI)

Objective: The aim of this study was to construct and validate a short self-rating questionnaire for the assessment of ego functions and ability of self regulation. Material and Methods: An item pool of 120 items covering 6 postulated dimensions was reduced by two steps in independent samples (n = 136 + 470) via factor and item analyses to the final version consisting of 35 items. Results: The 5 resulting questionnaire scales "interpersonal disturbances", "frustration tolerance and impulse control", "identity disturbances", "affect differentiation and affect tolerance" and "self-esteem" were well interpretable and showed in confirmatory factor analysis the best fit to the data (CHI2/df = 3.48; RMSEA = 0.73). Total scores were found to differentiate well between diagnostic groups of patients with more or less ego pathology (F-ANOVA = 9.8; df = 11; p < 0.001), thus proving good concurrent validity. Reliability was shown by testing internal consistency and test-retest correlations. Conclusion: The "Hannover self-regulation questionnaire" (HSRQ) evidently is an appropriate and reliable screening instrument in order to assess ego functions and capacities of self regulation in an economic and user-friendly means. The scale structure allows differentiated diagnostics of weak vs. stable ego functions and may be used for detailed therapy planning.