Psychometric validation of an Arabic translation of the Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6)

Abstract

Background The Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6) is a reduced version of the Impact of Event Scale – Revised, and has been developed to rapidly screen for PTSD. This study aimed to psychometrically evaluate and validate a new Arabic translation of the Impact of Event Scale − 6 on a sample of adults from the general population of Lebanon. Methods Participants (n = 601) were Arabic-speaking adults from the general population of Lebanon who completed our Arabic translation of the IES–6, along with measures of psychological distress and death anxiety. Results Confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed and showed that the fit of a one-factor model of the Arabic translation of the IES–6 was acceptable. Total scores were found to have adequate reliability (ω = .94; α = .94). Adequate patterns of concurrent validity were also demonstrated, with IES-6 scores significantly and positively correlating with psychological distress (r = .41; p < .001) and death anxiety (r = .53; p < .001). Finally, sex invariance was established at the configural, metric, and scalar levels, with females scoring significantly higher than males. Conclusion Our study suggests that the Arabic translation of the IES–6 is valid and reliable for assessment of PTSD symptoms. The availability of this scale should help improve research on PTSD and also evaluate the effectiveness of PTSD treatments.