Development and validation of an indigenous Urdu-language Dependent personality disorder scale for adults

Objective: To develop and validate an indigenous Dependent Personality Disorder Scale (DPDS) for adults, ensuring strong psychometric properties tailored to the cultural context of Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical design was employed, with ethical approval from the Departmental Research Review Committee at the University of Gujrat. Data collection occurred from February to June 2019 in Gujrat, Pakistan. Participants aged 19 and above, from various educational institutions, hospitals, and communities, were recruited using purposive sampling (N=234; 107 males, 127 females). The study involved two phases: scale development and validation. Initially, a pool of 104 items was created based on literature and expert input, reduced to 94 after expert review, and further refined to 52 items through exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) validated a final 25-item scale with satisfactory model fit indices (CMIN/DF=2.108, CFI=0.908, RMSEA=0.069). Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and construct validity was determined through convergent validity testing against an existing DPDS measure. Results: The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value was 0.938, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant (p < 0.001), supporting factor analysis suitability. Exploratory factor analysis revealed seven factors explaining 64.39% of the variance. The finalized scale demonstrated high internal consistency (α = 0.932). Subscale reliability ranged from 0.684 to 0.866. Convergent validity showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.712, p < 0.01) with an established DPDS measure. Conclusion: The 25-item DPDS is a psychometrically robust, reliable, and valid tool for assessing dependent personality disorder in Pakistani adults, with potential applicability in clinical and research settings.