Linguistic Validation of Impact of Skin Diseases on Daily Life (ISDL) Scale

Abstract

The psychosocial impact of skin conditions such as Eczema, Psoriasis, and Acne Vulgaris significantly affects individuals' overall quality of life (QoL). Visible skin issues can lead to stigma, and social withdrawal, associated with anxiety, depression, and body image dissatisfaction, influencing relationships, work performance, and overall mental well-being. Different standardized measures have been developed that assess the QoL and psychosocial issues of individuals with skin conditions. Evers et al (2007) designed a multidimensional scale entitled Impact of Skin Diseases on Daily Life (ISDL) that not just measures the psychosocial impact of skin conditions, also assesses the level of satisfaction with QoL simultaneously. Therefore, the present study aimed to translate ISDL scale into Urdu language for Pakistani population. This scale comprised of 32 items with subscales including skin status, physical 
symptoms (itching, pain, fatigue), scratching, impact of disease on daily life, stigmatization, psychological functioning (anxiety, negative mood, positive mood), social support and illness cognition (helplessness, acceptance, perceived benefits). A high reliability coefficient was found .72. The present study was validated on Pakistani population (N =315) with an age range of M=28.5, SD=3.60. A Factor analysis through Structural Equation Modeling SEM-AMOS, was carried out using the confirmatory approach and validated the factorial structure. Results revealed strong psychometric properties of the ISDL scale which align with previous studies. These findings imply that the ISDL scale is an acceptable psychometric tool and an appropriate scale to investigate the psychosocial impact of skin diseases and QoL in individuals with chronic skin conditions.