Validity and reliability evidence of the questionnaire for illness representation, the impact of epilepsy, and stigma (QIRIS)

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to obtain reliability and validity evidence for the questionnaire of illness representation, the impact of epilepsy, and stigma (QIRIS) for use with adolescents and adults in Brazil. QIRIS consists of 14 questions grouped in three domains (attribution of meaning, impact of disease, and stigma) and was applied to 57 adults with epilepsy. QIRIS internal consistency was satisfactory (Cronbach’s α = 0. 866). Significant and strong correlation was found between issues belonging to the same domain, as expected. Three domains have highly significant and positive correlations with the instrument’s total score, indicating evidence of content validity. We conclude that QIRIS has psychometric properties and can facilitate a systematic evaluation of the patient’s representation according to a biopsychosocial approach that may contribute to clinical practice based on scientific evidence.