1. Borderline Congress, Berlin, July 1 2010
The Severity Indices for Personality Problems (SIPP) questionnaire: A dimensional measurement for the severity of personality pathology
Helene Andrea (PhD)
Roel Verheul (PhD)
Viersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders (VISPD), Halsteren, the Netherlands
Borderline Congress, Berlin, July

2. Introduction Severity Indices for Personality Problems (SIPP)
Verheul, Andrea et al, 2008
Recently developed self-report questionnaire
Dimensional measurement for severity of personality functioning -> relevant towards DSM-V
Previous research: concurrent validity when comparing PD patients with a non-clinical population
Also useful as a dimensional instrument within a clinical population?
Verheul, Andrea et al, Psychol Assessment 2008, 20, 23-34

3. Objective & method
Is the dimensional assessment of the severity of personality pathology (SIPP)
associated with
other indices of the severity of personality pathology
in a clinical population?
Dimensional measurement
of severity
of personality pathology
Facets (subscales) SIPP
Other Indices
of severity of
personality pathology
DSM-IV based measurements: - Presence BPD - Number of PDs - Number of BPD criteria - Cluster A PDs

4. Study Population
SCEPTRE study: N=2078 patients referred to centers offering psychotherapy for personality problems
Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality (SIDP-IV): N=379 patients (18%) with BPD % female, mean age (sd 7.85) - Dimensional scores 16 SIPP facets

5. Website: http://hdl.handle.net/1765/10066
SIPP
Facet (subscale)
Domain
Emotion regulation
Effortful control
Self control
Purposefulness
Enjoyment
Self-respect
Stable self-image
Self-reflexive functioning
Identity integration
Enduring relationships
Intimacy
Feeling recognized
Relational functioning
Aggression regulation
Frustration tolerance
Cooperation
Respect
Social concordance
Responsible industry
Trustworthiness
Responsibility
Website:

6. SIPP 118 items, 16 facets (subscales), 5 higher-order domains
Dimensional measurement of personality severity:
Lower score = more maladaptive level of functioning - higher severity
Higher score = more adaptive level of functioning – lower severity
Examples
Item
Facet/subscale
Domain
I usually have adequate control over my feelings
Emotion
regulation
Self-control
I can easily accept people the way they are, even when
they are different
Respect
Social concordance
   
Fully disagree Partly disagree Partly agree Fully agree
Website:
Publication: Verheul, Andrea et al (2008). Psychol Assessment, 20, 23-34

7. Results SIPP facets and BPD diagnosis
SIPP-scores more
maladaptive

8. Within the BPD population: SIPP scores associated with number of PDs?
Associations between SIPP
and DSM-IV severity Indices
for 10 (out of 16) facets
# BPD criteria
Cluster A PDs
Comparable pattern

9. Discussion (1)
Results (modestly) in support of the SIPP as a useful instrument for the dimensional assessment of severity among BPD-patients
However….
Contrast within BPD-patients smaller than between BPD and non-BPD-patients
SIPP specific and sensitive enough??

10. Further research Transition: DSM-IV -> DSM-V Proposal DSM-V:
Indicate level of personality functioning for a patient on the “Self and Interpersonal Functioning Continuum”
“Self”: Identity integration, Integrity of Self concept, Self-directnedness “Interpersonal”: Empathy, Intimacy, Cooperativeness, Complexity, Integration of representations of others
5 levels: No/Mild/Moderate/Serious/Extreme Impairment
How are SIPP-scores related to this continuum?
Dimensional scores and/or cut-off scores? Specificity & sensitivity?

11. Availability of the SIPP
Diagnostic version: 118 items, 16 facets, 5 domains Outcome version (SIPP-SF): 60 items, 5 domains
Available in Dutch, English, Norwegian, Spanish and Italian
In exchange for research data
Websites:
(click on heading sipp-main menu; five subpages)