Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Dissociative Symptoms Scale-Brief Across Five Arab Countries.

Abstract

Background: Dissociation, involving disruptions in cognition, perception, and identity, is closely linked to trauma and various psychiatric disorders but remains underrecognized, especially in non-Western contexts. Although tools like the Dissociative Symptoms Scale-Brief (DSS-B) have improved assessment, validated Arabic-language versions are lacking. Given rising mental health concerns and limited resources in the Arab world, this study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic-translated DSS-B to support culturally appropriate diagnosis and research on dissociation.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, participants from KSA, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan were recruited via snowball sampling and completed an online survey. The DSS-B was translated into Arabic using a forward-backward method and reviewed by experts for cultural and semantic accuracy. Participants also completed validated Arabic versions of the Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-4, and the Brief Irritability Test.

Results: Among 1494 participants (mean age = 24.97; 74.5% female), Palestinians showed the highest dissociative symptoms. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed good model fit, excellent reliability (ω = 0.93; α = 0.92), and strong convergent validity average variance extracted (AVE = 0.70). Measurement invariance across genders and countries was supported, with no significant gender differences in scores. Dissociation was positively correlated with depression-anxiety (r = 0.57), irritability (r = 0.51), and loneliness (r = 0.45), confirming concurrent validity, while discriminant validity was also established.

Conclusion: This study validates the Arabic DSS-B as a reliable, valid, and culturally adaptable tool for assessing dissociation in Arab populations, reinforcing its clinical and research utility. Future research should explore its generalizability in underrepresented groups, use longitudinal and clinician-based assessments, and investigate neurobiological underpinnings to deepen understanding and application of dissociation measurement globally.