Development of the Arabic versions of the Impact of Events Scale‐Revised and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory to assess trauma and growth in Middle Eastern refugees in Australia

Abstract

Background

The current study reports on the development of an Arabic version of the Revised version of the Impact of Events Scale (IES‐R). The IES‐R was developed to assist in exploring the relationship between posttraumatic growth (PTG) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among a sample of 40 Middle Eastern participants from a refugee background.

Method

The psychometric properties were investigated on two recently translated Arabic versions of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and the adapted IES‐R. The current IES‐R was developed using World Health Organization (WHO) principles in establishing the comprehensibility, reliability, and validity of translated scales.

Results

Good discriminant validity and good reliability for the scale were identified. Factors analysis supported a four‐factor solution for the PTGI and a three‐factor solution for the IES‐R; however, the small sample size suggests the obtained factor structure is likely unstable.

Conclusion

The Arabic version of the IES‐R is a promising scale to assess posttraumatic stress symptoms in Middle Eastern Refugees.

Abstract

Key words:

• Middle Eastern refugees
• posttraumatic growth (PTG)
• posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Funding: None.

Conflict of interest: None.

Funding: None.

Conflict of interest: None.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support from the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA); the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP); New Horizons Enterprises Ltd.; and their Humanitarian PHaMS team. We are also grateful for the consent given by the following authors who kindly allowed the use of their measures as an important component of the study: Dr. Richard Tedeschi, for sharing the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI); Dr. Ibrahim Kira, for sharing the Arabic version of the PTGI; and Dr. Daniel Weiss, for sharing the original IES‐R, and for consenting the use of our reverse translated Arabic version of this measure. In addition, we wish to pay special acknowledgement to Mr. Hadi Stambouliah, who kindly provided the original Arabic version of the IES‐R (unknown source) and back‐translated this tool for comparison with the English version of the IES‐R provided by Dr. Weiss. The final Arabic version of the IES‐R used in this study is a result of his efforts.

Notes

Funding: None.

Conflict of interest: None.

Additional information

Funding

Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)

Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP)

New Horizons Enterprises Ltd.;

Humanitarian PHaMS team