Validity and reliability of Persian translation of the Borderline Evaluation of Severity over Time (BEST) questionnaire

Background: Borderline Evaluation of Severity over Time (BEST) is one of the self-reported tools for evaluation of the severity and track the response of treatment of borderline personality disorder. The present study evaluated the validity and reliability of Persian Translation of the Borderline Evaluation of Severity over Time (BEST) Questionnaire and to compare it with a semi-structured clinical interview for DSM-IV axis II (SCID-II). Methods: The questionnaire was translated into Persian and then, the content and face validities of the questionnaire were determined. The translated BEST questionnaire and SCID-II were conducted on 33 outpatients and 32 hospitalized patients with diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and 30 patients’ companions. Forty-five patients completed the questionnaire again in an interval between 7 to 45 days. The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, paired sample t-test, and the Pearson correlation coefficient and Cronbach’s α coefficient. Results: This study evaluates the content validity, face validity, and criterion validity and reliability of the Persian version of the BEST Questionnaire. The mean scores of the BEST questionnaire were 45.6, 39.2, and 24.3 in in-patients, outpatients, and controls, respectively (p=0.001). The mean scores of the BEST questionnaire were 43.7 in the first evaluation, and 41.4 in the second one (r=0.619, p<0.001). Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.761, and it reached to 0.898 after omitting items 13 to 15. The questionnaire had a two-factor structure, including internal turmoil and the disturbance in interpersonal relationships. Conclusion: The Persian version of the BEST Questionnaire has a high face and content validity, high criterion validity, moderate to high reliability, and an acceptable two-factor structure.