Maternal Disintegrative Responses Scale (MDRS)

The Maternal Disintegrative Responses Scale (MDRS) is designed to assess intrusive thoughts and dissociative experiences in postpartum mothers_{{{CITATION{{{_1{The Maternal Disintegrative Responses Scale (MDRS): Development and …. It is used to identify mothers who may be experiencing significant psychological distress during the postpartum period.

Length of Filling

Filling out the entire scale will take approximately 5-10 minutes.

Survey Structure

The MDRS consists of eight items that measure two dimensions:

1. Intrusive Thoughts: These are unwanted, distressing thoughts that can intrude into a mother’s mind.
2. Dissociative Experiences: These are experiences where a mother feels disconnected from herself, her surroundings, or her emotions.

Scoring Method

• Each item is scored on a scale from 0 to 3, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms_{{{CITATION{{{_1{The Maternal Disintegrative Responses Scale (MDRS): Development and ….
• The total score is the sum of the scores for all eight items, resulting in a range from 0 to 24_{{{CITATION{{{_1{The Maternal Disintegrative Responses Scale (MDRS): Development and ….

Reverse Items

• The MDRS does not have reverse-scored items_{{{CITATION{{{_1{The Maternal Disintegrative Responses Scale (MDRS): Development and …. All items are scored in the same direction, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms.

Subscales

• Two Subscales: Intrusive Thoughts and Dissociative Experiences_{{{CITATION{{{_1{The Maternal Disintegrative Responses Scale (MDRS): Development and ….

Response Scale

A Likert-type scale is used for answers in the MDRS method, where the respondent expresses their agreement on a four-point scale (0 = “Not at all,” 1 = “Rarely,” 2 = “Sometimes,” 3 = “Most of the time”).

Keywords

postpartum, intrusive thoughts, dissociation, maternal mental health, psychological distress

References

Chasson, M., & Taubman-Ben-Ari, O. (2023). The Maternal Disintegrative Responses Scale (MDRS): Development and initial validation. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 79(2), 415-430_{{{CITATION{{{_2{The Maternal Disintegrative Responses Scale (MDRS): Development and …. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23414

Instructions for Administrators

When administering the MDRS, it is important to:

1. Create a Safe Environment: Ensure the respondent feels safe and comfortable sharing potentially distressing experiences.
2. Provide Support: Be prepared to offer emotional support or referrals to mental health services if the respondent becomes distressed.
3. Confidentiality: Ensure that the respondent’s information is kept confidential and is only used for the intended assessment purposes.

By carefully following these guidelines, you can help respondents navigate the sensitive process of discussing and assessing their intrusive thoughts and dissociative experiences.