Abstract
ObjectivesThe objective of this study is to validate three mental health scales in a targeted sample of pregnant Arab women living in Qatar: the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.MethodsRandom split-half exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analyses (n = 336; n = 331), conducted separately, were used to evaluate scale dimensionality, factor loadings, and factor structure of the KUAS, the PSS, and the EPDS.ResultsFit statistics for the three scales suggested adequate fit to the data and estimated factor loadings were positive, similar in magnitude, and were significant. The final CFA model for the KUAS supported a 19-item, two factor structure. CFA models also confirmed 8- and 10-item, single-factor structures for the PSS and EPDS, respectively.ConclusionsThe validation of scales for these aspects of mental health in Arab pregnant women is critical to ensure appropriate screening, identification, and treatment to reduce the risk of sequelae in women and their children. Findings offer a useful comparison to mental-health scale validations in other Arab contexts.
Highlights
Mental disorders affect 10% of pregnant women and 13% of postpartum women [1]
Screening for common mental disorders, including stress, anxiety, and depression requires valid measurement tools carefully tested for the populations in which they are used
We tested the validity of three scales for measuring anxiety (Kuwait University Anxiety Scale), stress (Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale), and depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) in a sample of Arab pregnant women in Qatar waiting to receive antenatal care
Summary
Mental disorders affect 10% of pregnant women and 13% of postpartum women [1]. The 20-item Kuwait University Anxiety Scale (KUAS) [4] screens for anxiety symptoms and has been validated among student or non-clinical samples across several Arab countries [5, 6]. A 14-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) measuring past-month stress levels and appraisals [7] has been validated in Jordan among teachers and technical workers [8] and in a small sample of Lebanese pregnant women, postpartum women, and students [9]. The 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) [10] has been validated in small samples of postpartum women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) [11] and Lebanon [12]
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