Conceptualizing and Measuring Symptom Invalidation as Experienced by Patients with Endometriosis by Dr. Allyson Bontempo, SC&I Dissertation Presentation.

“This dissertation is an explication and investigation into the phenomenon that I call symptom invalidation, which I define as communication that deems one’s symptoms or related experiences as not real or of value. Drawing on the experiences of patients with endometriosis, I explore what message features constitute invalidating communication, what the negative sequelae of invalidating communication are, whether invalidation communication can be reliably measured, and whether the association between invalidation and negative sequelae can be tested.”