Abstract
The scale assesses the severity of insomnia using diagnostic criteria set forth by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). The eight-item questionnaire evaluates sleep onset, night and early-morning waking, sleep time, sleep quality, frequency and duration of complaints, distress caused by the experience of insomnia, and interference with daily functioning. A shorter version of the questionnaire, consisting of the first five items alone, may also be used.
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FormalPara PurposeThe scale assesses the severity of insomnia using diagnostic criteria set forth by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). The eight-item questionnaire evaluates sleep onset, night and early-morning waking, sleep time, sleep quality, frequency and duration of complaints, distress caused by the experience of insomnia, and interference with daily functioning. A shorter version of the questionnaire, consisting of the first five items alone, may also be used.
FormalPara Population for TestingThe instrument has been validated in patients with insomnia and with control participants aged 18–79 years.
FormalPara AdministrationRequiring between 3 and 5 min for administration, the scale is a self-report, pencil-and-paper measure.
FormalPara Reliability and ValidityAn initial study evaluating the psychometric properties of both the long and shorter versions of the scale [1] found an internal consistency ranging from .87 to .89 and a test-retest reliability of .88 – .89. In terms of the instrument’s validity, results on the AIS correlated highly with scores obtained on the Sleep Problems Scale (.85–.90).
FormalPara Obtaining a CopyA copy can be found in the developers’ original article [1].
Direct correspondence to:
C.R. Soldatos
Eginition Hospital
72-74 Vas. Sophias Ave.
11528 Athens, Greece
Telephone: +30-301-7289324
Email: egslelabath@hol.gr
FormalPara ScoringRespondents use Likert-type scales to show how severely certain sleep difficulties have affected them during the past month. Scores range from 0 (meaning that the item in question has not been a problem) to 3 (indicating more acute sleep difficulties). Developers Soldatos and colleagues [2] suggest a cutoff score of 6, which correctly distinguished between insomnia patients and controls in 90% of cases.
Athens Insomnia Scale
Instructions: This scale is intended to record your own assessment of any sleep difficulty you might have experienced. Please check (by circling the appropriate number) the items below to indicate your estimate of any difficulty, provided that it occurred at least three times per week during the last month
Sleep induction (time it takes you to fall asleep after turning off the lights) | |||
0: No problem | 1: Slightly delayed | 2: Markedly delayed | 3: Very delayed or did not sleep at all |
Awakenings during the night | |||
0: No problem | 1: Minor problem | 2: Considerable problem | 3: Serious problem or did not sleep at all |
Final awakening earlier than desired | |||
0: Not earlier | 1: A little earlier | 2: Markedly earlier | 3: Much earlier or did not sleep at all |
Total sleep duration | |||
0: Sufficient | 1: Slightly insufficient | 2: Markedly insufficient | 3: Very insufficient or did not sleep at all |
Overall quality of sleep (no matter how long you slept) | |||
0: Satisfactory | 1: Slightly unsatisfactory | 2: Markedly unsatisfactory | 3: Very unsatisfactory or did not sleep at all |
Sense of well-being during the day | |||
0: Normal | 1: Slightly decreased | 2: Markedly decreased | 3: Very decreased |
Functioning (physical and mental) during the day | |||
0: Normal | 1: Slightly decreased | 2: Markedly decreased | 3: Very decreased |
Sleepiness during the day | |||
0: None | 1: Mild | 2: Considerable | 3: Intense |
Reprinted from Soldatos et al. [1], Copyright © 2000, with permission from Elsevier.
References
Soldatos, C. R., Dikeos, D.G., & Paparrigopoulos, T.J. (2000). Athens insomnia scale: validation of an instrument based on ICD-10 criteria. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 48(6), 555–560.
Soldatos, C. R., Dimitris, G. D., & Paparrigopoulos, T.J. (2003). The diagnostic validity of the Athens insomnia scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 55, 263–267.
Representative Studies Using Scale
Szelenberger, W., & Niemcewicz, S. (2000). Severity of insomnia correlates with cognitive impairment. Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis, 60(3), 373.
Novak, M., Molnar, M., Ambrus, C., Kovacs, A., Koczy, A., Remport, A., Szeifert, L., Szentkiralyi, A., Shapiro, C. M., Kopp, M. S., & Mucsi, I. (2006). Chronic insomnia in transplant recipients. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 47(4), 655–665.
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Shahid, A., Wilkinson, K., Marcu, S., Shapiro, C.M. (2011). Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). In: Shahid, A., Wilkinson, K., Marcu, S., Shapiro, C. (eds) STOP, THAT and One Hundred Other Sleep Scales. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9893-4_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9893-4_5
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