Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale - Short Form.

Background and Purpose: Behavioral activation is an evidence-based and promising system for depression, designed to enhance an individual's engagement in daily activities. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale - Short Form (BADS-SF). Methods: The data were collected from 298 nursing students after conducting a content validity analysis. Cronbach's αs were calculated to assess internal consistency, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to test the structural validity of the scale. Results: The validity and reliability of the BADS-SF Turkey version have been verified. The BADS-SF was validated through CFA, revealing a good fit with χ²/df = 16.50/7, goodness-of-fit index = 0.98, comparative fitness index = 0.99, normed fit index = 0.98, standardized root-mean-square residual = .025, and root-mean-square error of approximation = .068. The scale demonstrated acceptable reliability, with Cronbach's α ranging from 0.61 to 0.83 across subscales, and strong convergent validity with average variance extracted values of 0.528 for activation and 0.699 for avoidance. Conclusions: The findings confirm that the Turkish version of the BADS-SF is a valid and reliable tool, suitable for use in clinical and research settings to evaluate and monitor depression within Turkish-speaking populations.