Understanding crisis: First steps of validation of “crisis integration scale” (CIS)

Abstract

Crisis is a psychic reaction to stress with the potential to produce psychiatric symptoms. It is also considered as a transition phase which may change attitudes and interpersonal functioning. Special psychotherapeutic interventions have been developed in order to promote these changes. Brief crisis intervention centres (CIC) provide an alternative to hospital treatments and preserve as much as possible social relations and functioning.

In this study, we present the “Crisis Integration Scale” (CIS), a new, brief self-rating scale developed to measure whether or not a patient integrates his/her crisis as a constructive experience of his/her live. This scale is in French language (EIC: “Echelle d'Intégration de la Crise”) and is based on the concept of “integration versus sealing-over” proposed by T. McGlashan.

CIS data of 70 recently admitted patients to our CIC suffering of major depression or anxiety disorders are presented and compared to data assessed at the same time point with BPRS, SCL-90-R, Recovery Style Questionnaire (RSQ) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF).

The first statistical analysis shows encouraging results according to reliability (internal consistency, test-retest). However no significant correlations were found between CIS and validity measures (e.g. BPRS items).

The next step for the validation of CIS is to study further the external and internal validities. All these results will then be compared with those concerning a different clinical population (patients with psychotic symptoms) admitted in a specialised outpatient unit.