Bridging cross-cultural assessment gaps: developing and validating a pictorial psychological distress scale

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective Effective screening tools are crucial to support the mental health of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Australia. Pictorial assessments are suggested as a solution to the cultural and linguistical barriers and translation complications, often encountered in text-based assessments. This study developed and validated a pictorial scale to assess psychological distress. Method Participants, who were general community members and students (n = 230), and CALD (n = 155) completed online the newly developed pictorial scale, Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-30, and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Results Exploratory factor analysis with the community sample identified a 21-item scale, labelled as the Pictorial Psychological Distress Scale (PPDS). It consisted of two factors: Somatic and Anxiety Distress, and Depression and Interpersonal Distress. A confirmatory factor analysis with the CALD sample confirmed the factor structure. Based on the two samples, the scale and its factors showed sound internal consistency, satisfactory test–retest reliability, and strong concurrent validity with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-10 and Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-30. Future research, further investigating the validity of the pictorial scale, is warranted. Conclusions The pictorial scale is promising and has the potential to screen psychological distress experienced by CALD communities.