The Illness Attitude Scales: Adaptation and Translation Into Spanish for Use With Older Adults

The Illness Attitude Scales (IAS) were simplified from a 5-point Likert-type scale to a yes-or-no format and translated into Spanish using Brislin’s method. Because of the linkage between hypochondriasis and depression, the new version was administered to immigrant, Hispanic, older adults suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) (n= 21) and their controls (n = 21), and to non-Hispanic older adults with MDD (n = 32) and their controls (n = 32). Both versions of the IAS were equivalent and had adequate internal consistency. As hypothesized, Hispanic immigrants with MDD endorsed more hypochondriacal beliefs and were more concerned about the effect of their symptoms than controls. Non-Hispanics were more concerned about pain than controls. The two IAS simplified versions will be useful in the assessment of English- and Spanish-speaking older adults in both clinical and research settings.