SELF-REGARD - A NEW MEASURE

Objective: The status of patients and research subjects is usually con sidered in terms of self-reported symptoms. Measures seldom include di sturbances in a conscious sense of the self. An additional brief measu re of the sense of current self-regard is desirable, since a conscious lapse in an integrated self-concept may occur under stressful circums tances. The authors constructed and tested such a measure. Method: Cli nical interviews had indicated five common experiences that occurred m ore frequently as complaints during stress-induced regressions in the sense of she self as a functioning mind-body agency. An anchored five- item scale, the Self-Regard Questionnaire, was constructed and tested with 79 subjects who were in the midst of grief from the death of a sp ouse. Data analyses included checks on the internal coherence of quest ionnaire scale scores and their association with symptom, personality, and social desirability measures. Results: The five-item Self-Regard Questionnaire was completed quickly, in less than a minute, and led to internally consistent and unique data. Low levels of overall self-reg ard were correlated with higher levels of distress and predicted prolo nged distress. Conclusions: These results suggest that the questionnai re is a useful, quick, and easy-to-score self-report tool for assessin g, and reassessing over time, current experiences of the self. The fiv e questions may also be useful to clinicians who evaluate patients in contexts other than research.