Construction and Validation of the Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder Scale (DMDDS)-Parent Form

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) is one of the mood disorders of the fifth edition of the mental disorder’s diagnosis. This disorder begins in the childhood and causes many problems for parents, teachers, friends, and children themselves. This disorder, which is associated with social problems, is also very debilitating. The present study was conducted with the aim of constructing and initial reliability of the disruptive mood dysregulation disorder scale.

Methods and Materials: 

The method of this research is descriptive and instrument making; while its statistical population is all parents of children aged 6-12 year in Isfahan in the year 1397. Statistical samples included 300 people which were selected by available sampling. To collect the data for evaluation of this disorder, the researcher-made Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder Scale (DMDDS) was used. To examine the scale items, quantitative and qualitative content reliability, quantitative and qualitative nominal reliability, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with varimax rotation, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Cronbachchr('39')s alpha coefficient were used.

Based on the parameters of impact coefficient index above 1.5, content reliability index above 0.62, reliability ratio above 0.70, and the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis’s, 24 scale items were kept in the instrument. Considering an eigenvalue above 1, four factors of impulsivity, performance, mood, and frustration were extracted. According to the obtained results, the four factors of this scale were able to predict 50.80% of the changes in the total scale. Also, a total scale reliability coefficient of 0.894 was obtained by Cronbachchr('39')s alpha method.

Based on the results of this study, the content reliability index as well as the nominal and structural scale which are designed for the parents, are acceptable and can be used to evaluate the disruptive mood dysregulation disorder in children aged 6-12 year.