Urdu translation of the ICD-10 chapter V (F), Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC): Process and principles of translation

Abstract

Although there is some literature on translation and cultural adaptation of measurement scales, none is available on the translation of diagnostic guidelines, such as the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Edition (ICD-10). Our group translated ICD-10, Research Diagnostics Criteria (RDC) into Urdu, which is the official language of Pakistan but is also spoken in some states in India. Significant diasporas of Urdu speakers also exist in Western Countries. We describe the translation process and the principles that guided our work. The translation process consisted of preparation, forward-translation, external translation, synthesis, focus group discussions with laypersons to clarify terminology, and review by mental health professionals and laypersons. Translation also included a wider consultation process in which the final version was sent to Pakistani mental health professionals in Pakistan and abroad.

Cross-cultural adaptation of four instruments to measure stigma towards people with mental illness and substance use problems among primary care professionals in Chile

“…Both the original (North America/ United Kingdom) and target cultures (Chile) of the adapted scales in this study are Western in origin, with associated cultural similarities (such as individualism and materialism; Eckersley, 2006). Cultural similarities facilitate crosscultural adaptation, while adaptation from European to Asian cultures and languages, for example, can be more challenging (Naeem et al, 2011). Although the crosscultural adaptation process described here was open to making more significant changes to the original scales (Herdman et al, 1998), no items in the scales were found to be unacceptable in the Chilean cultural context.…”