Measuring Self-Soothing Ability in Patients with Childhood Trauma - Psychometric Evaluation of the Self-Soothing Scale in a Clinical Sample.

OBJECTIVES: The regulation of strong emotions is an essential skill for traumatized patients. The present instrument was developed for the measurement of the self-soothing ability in traumatized patients.

METHODS: The psychometric properties of the SBS were investigated in a clinical sample of patients with childhood trauma (N = 143). In addition, the study explored the factorial structure, internal consistency, retest reliability, convergent validity, and responsiveness of the instrument.

RESULTS: Results of an exploratory factor analysis indicated a two-factor structure: 'self-soothing' and 'impulse control', explaining 55% of the variance. The total score showed a good internal consistency (α = .83) and re-test reliability (rtt = .87) as well as good validity and responsiveness.

CONCLUSIONS: The 7-item SBS is a suitable instrument for the measurement of self-soothing ability in traumatized patients.