Validation and Psychometric Properties of the Polish Version of the Skin Picking Scale-Revised

Abstract

The Skin Picking Scale-Revised (SPS-R) is an 8-item self-report measure of skin picking behaviors. It includes two subscales related to skin picking symptom severity and picking-related impairments. The study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the SPS-R in a sample of adults reporting skin picking. The sample of 764 participants was recruited from the general population through an online survey. Among them, 159 meet the criteria of pathological skin picking applied in the original SPS-R validation study, and 57 endorsed all of the DSM-5 criteria for excoriation disorder. The SPS-R was back-translated into Polish. Factor structure, reliability, convergent and divergent validity, and diagnostic accuracy were assessed. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed a two-factor structure of the scale. High internal consistency and convergent and divergent validity were confirmed for the total score as well as for the subscales. High prognostic ability of the SPS-R total score was also demonstrated using ROC analysis: ≥5 was accepted as an optimal cut-off point for distinguishing skin picking sufferers from healthy controls. The Polish version of the SPS-R shows good psychometric properties and appears to be a reliable measure of skin picking symptoms and picking-related impairment.