Objective: The aim of this study was to translate, culturally adapt, and test the psychometric characteristics of the General Sleep Disturbance Scale (GSDS) and to detect and explore the presence of sleep disorders in the healthy Italian population.Methods: Reliability was assessed through Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient; concurrent validity was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).Results: The scale was administered to 426 subjects recruited all over Italy. The Italian GSDS was found to have good internal consistency (Cronbach's α was 0.77) and a good test-retest reliability (ICC of 0.78). The optimal cut-off point for the GSDS-IT was 38.5.Conclusion: The GSDS-IT is a valid and reliable tool, which can be completed in less than five minutes and is a noninvasive method for measuring sleep disturbances consistent with the DSM-V insomnia criteria, during a past week.
Keywords: Italy; Sleep disorders; healthy population; insomnia; reliability; validation study.