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BACKGROUND: Arabic represents one of the most frequently spoken languages worldwide, especially among refugee populations. There is a pressing need for specialized diagnostic tools corresponding to the DSM-5 criteria in Modern Standard Arabic, which can be administered on Arabic speakers in the West and Arab region alike. OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate the culturally-adapted version of the most recent M.I.N.I. 7.0.2 into Modern Standard Arabic-a form of Arabic commonly used across all Arab countries. METHODS: 102 participants were recruited between April 2019 to March 2020 at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin in Berlin. Symptoms were assessed with Arabic versions of rater-based and self-rated measures, including Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ). Arabic-speaking psychiatrists saw participants for diagnostic assessment. RESULTS: Cohen's kappa (κ) values were moderate for major depression, and slight for post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as generalized anxiety disorder. Moreover, kappa values indicated moderate agreement between M.I.N.I.-AR and PHQ-9 for depression, as well as HTQ for post-traumatic stress disorder, respectively. CONCLUSION: The translated and culturally adapted version of the M.I.N.I. addresses an existing need for a reliable, efficient, and effective comprehensive diagnostic tool using the most recent DSM-5 criteria in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Based on the obtained results, only a validation of the depression module (Module A) of the M.I.N.I-AR was possible. Study outcomes also show evidence for the validation of Module H covering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Potential valuable contributions can be extended to this translation and validation.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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). CONCLUSION: 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.
