Adaptation of the Barcelona Bipolar Eating Disorder Scale to Turkish and investigation of its validity and reliability

Abstract Objective This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Barcelona Bipolar Eating Disorder Scale (BEDS), which can facilitate screening for comorbid eating disorders (EDs) in bipolar disorder (BD) patients. Methods A total of 100 BD patients and 129 healthy controls (HCs) were included in the study conducted at Ankara Etlik City Hospital Psychiatry Clinic. These patients were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5). Sociodemographic forms, the Turkish Vesion of BEDS, the Young Mani Rating Scale (YMRS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Bulumic Investigatory Test Edinburgh (BITE), and the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) were used to assess validity and reliability. Results No statistically significant differences were found between the patient and control groups regarding the total and subscale scores of the BITE, BEDS, and DEBQ. The correlation coefficient between each item and the total score ranged from 0.313–0.644. Cronbach's alpha for the scale was 0.821. The removal of any items from the original scale did not lead to an improvement in Cronbach’s alpha. The BEDS score was found to be significantly correlated with the BITE score, DEBQ total score, emotional eating score, and external eating score (p < 0.001). There was no correlation between the BEDS score and the DEBQ Restrictive Eating Rubscale, YMRS, BPRS, or HAM-D scale scores. Conclusion The Turkish version of the BEDS is a valid and reliable scale that can be used as an assessment tool in the evaluation of eating disorders in the Turkish BD population.