Abstract
BackgroundTo evaluate the psychometric properties of a Swahili version of the Kessler Psychological Distress scale in an injury population in Tanzania.MethodsSwahili version of the Kessler Psychological Distress scale was developed by translation and back-translation by a panel of native speakers of both English and Swahili. The translated instruments were administered to a sample of Tanzanian adults from a traumatic brain injury registry. The content validity, construct validity, reliability, internal structure, and external reliability were analyzed using standard statistical methods.ResultsBoth translated versions of the Kessler Psychological Distress scale were found to be reliable (>0.85) for all tested versions. Confirmatory factor analysis of one and two factor solution showed adequate results. Kessler Psychological Distress scale scores were strongly correlated to depression and quality of life (R>0.50).ConclusionsThis paper presents the first Swahili adaptations of the Kessler Psychological Distress scale as well as the first validation of these questionnaires in Tanzania. The instrument was found to have acceptable psychometric properties, resulting in a new useful tool for medical and social research in this setting.
Highlights
To evaluate the psychometric properties of a Swahili version of the Kessler Psychological Distress scale in an injury population in Tanzania
Our results demonstrate that the Kessler Scale might provide relevant information to help healthcare providers in comprehending psychological distress amongst traumatic brain injury patients, allowing practitioners to understand different dimensions and potentially giving parameters to follow-up care of trauma patients in a psychological context
Further studies should replicate the Kessler Scale psychometric properties testing to other samples and other cultures to confirm the factor solution stability found in our results, with confirmatory approaches
Summary
To evaluate the psychometric properties of a Swahili version of the Kessler Psychological Distress scale in an injury population in Tanzania. Psychological distress encompasses a variety of mental health disorders, most notably depression and anxiety. Vissoci et al Health and Quality of Life Outcomes (2018) 16:147 with these disorders, identifying psychological distress in traumatic brain injury patients is of great importance. An adequate evaluation of psychological distress is currently needed for the traumatic brain injury population. In Tanzania especially, no instrument to measure psychological distress has ever been validated and there is a pressing need for a reliable objective measure to inform practice and policy. Further research is needed to provide more evidences of internal structure validity for the Kessler scale in traumatic brain injury patients
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