Development of the Brazilian version of the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS): scale and manual elaboration

• Grant number: 12/15222-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2012
• End date: May 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Fundamentals and Assessments in Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Juliana Teixeira Fiquer
• Grantee: Thiago Mazzoli Pedroso de Moraes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psiquiatria Doutor Antonio Carlos Pacheco e Silva (IPq). Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Emotional awareness is the ability of a person to identify, distinguish and describe their own emotion and those from others, which contributes to social adaptation. In order to measure individual differences in emotional awareness, an instrument was developed in the United States, named LEAS (Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale). The LEAS is composed of interpersonal situations that stimulate the respondents to describe their own feelings and those of others. LEAS's scores have been associated with important clinical outcomes (ex. psycho diagnosis; assessment of clinical improvement). A version of LEAS for application in the Brazilian population has not yet been elaborated. Therefore, the purpose of the present project is to develop a reliable and valid version of both the test and its manual for use in clinical and non-clinical settings. We will recruit 160 individuals, between 18 and 65 years, of both sexes, including a) healthy research volunteers previously selected for ongoing studies at the Institute of Psychiatry (IPq) of the HC-FMUSP; b) depressed patients who are in psychiatric treatment at the Affective Disorders Study Group (IPq-HC-FMUSP). We will conduct a selection of terms to develop the glossary of the correction manual. An extra adaptation of the instrument will be done if necessary. Finally, an evaluation of the psychometric properties of the LEAS (final version) will be performed. We consider that the Brazilian version of the LEAS will assist national research focused on human emotional processing. Additionally, it may be helpful to health professionals in diagnostic evaluation, the orientation of treatments, and assessment of clinical improvement of Brazilian patients with affective disorders.(AU)