General Sleep Disturbance Scale (GSDS-IT) in people with spinal cord injury. A psychometric study

Study design: Psychometric study. Objective: This study sought to analyze the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the General Sleep Disturbance Scale (GSDS-IT) in a population of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Setting: Italy. Methods: Its reliability was assessed using the Cronbach’s alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), while its concurrent validity was assessed using the Pearson’s correlation coefficient in relation to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The obtained scores were compared with the cut-off score for the GSDS-IT among a healthy Italian population (38.5). Results: The GSDS-IT was administered to 57 participants with SCI who were recruited from all over Italy. The GSDS-IT was found to have good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α of 0.76) and good test-retest reliability (ICC of 0.7), and it showed positive and significant values for all the PSQI domains. Based on the cut-off score of 38.5, 56% of participants tested positive for sleep disturbances upon admission (t0), while among the randomized participants submitted for the test-retest after 24 h (t1), 75% tested positive for sleep disturbances. Conclusion: The GSDS-IT is a valid, reliable, and time-efficient tool for measuring sleep disturbances over the past week in a population with SCI.