Development of a Culturally Sensitive Version of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) in Standard Arabic

Abstract

In light of the current humanitarian crises in the Arabic world, a version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) in standard Arabic, enabling a fast and efficient diagnosis of psychiatric disorders, is urgently needed. The aim of the present pilot study was to provide a culturally sensitive translation and adaptation of the MINI to standard Arabic and to undertake first steps towards its validation in a sample of Arab refugees. Various experts in the field of psychiatry and psychotherapy, familiar with both Western and Arab cultures, were involved in the multi-level adaption process. N=20 Arabic speaking refugee patients could be recruited for the pilot study at the Clearingstelle, established by the Charité, Univeritätsmedizin Berlin. The MINI diagnoses were compared to diagnoses by experts who were blinded to the MINI diagnoses, and screening instruments for depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 9, PHQ-9) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, HTQ) were used. Details concerning the particularities of the cultural adaptation process are comprehensively summarized and presented. Kappa values did not show any satisfactory concordance between the MINI and expert diagnoses. However, significantly strong concordance was found between the MINI and the PHQ-9 (κ=.69) and the HTQ (κ=.68). These results provide first indications for the validity of the standard Arabic version of the MINI and can be used as a basis for further, more comprehensive validation studies. Moreover, this study depicts a model process for the cultural adaptation of psychometric instruments.