Premium
Psychometric Properties of the Syrian Arabic Version of the Impact of Event Scale–Revised in the Context of the Syrian Refugee Crisis
Author(s) -
Grassi Michele,
Pellizzoni Sandra,
Vuch Marta,
Apuzzo Gian Matteo,
Agostini Tiziano,
Murgia Mauro
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.22667
Subject(s) - refugee , arabic , context (archaeology) , psychology , syrian refugees , scale (ratio) , posttraumatic stress , psychometrics , refugee crisis , clinical psychology , psychiatry , political science , geography , cartography , philosophy , linguistics , archaeology , law
The Impact of Event Scale–Revised (IES‐R) is a widely used self‐report questionnaire used to assess symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although the IES‐R has been translated and validated in multiple languages, no previous version has employed the Arabic dialect commonly spoken in Syria. The present work aimed to assess the psychometric properties of a Syrian Arabic version of the IES‐R. Syrian citizens ( N = 288) living in refugee camps in Turkey were administered the Syrian Arabic IES‐R as part of a humanitarian aid project focused on providing psychological assistance. The data were analyzed with respect to 10 previously published factor solutions. We found that the best‐fitting model was a four‐factor structure that included factors involving Avoidance–Numbing, Intrusion, Hyperarousal, and Sleep Disturbance. The model showed strong measurement invariance between male and female subsamples, allowing for meaningful comparisons of the factor means. Overall, the present findings support the validity of a new version of the IES‐R, which can be used by both researchers and clinicians responding to the urgent need for psychological care for Syrian refugees fleeing war‐related violence.