The Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale (CADSS): Validation of the German Version

Abstract

The Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale (CADSS) is a structured clinical interview to assess state dissociation rated by clinicians. The current study aimed to validate the German version of CADSS by comparing it to the established self-report measures for dissociation and exploring its underlying factor structure. Severity of within-session state dissociation was assessed directly following a standard psychotherapy session in a trauma-exposed patient sample (N= 105; 81.9% female). Internal consistency, convergent validity with other dissociation measures, and the factorial structure of the instrument were analyzed. The German version exhibited excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .94) and correlated significantly with self-report measures of state dissociation (r = .86) and trait dissociation (r = .77) indicative of high convergent validity. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor solution with the factors (1) Depersonalization/Derealization, (2) Identity Confusion/Alteration, and (3) Amnesia. Results support the CADSS as a useful instrument to assess state dissociation, conceptualized as a multidimensional construct, in clinical practice.