Cross-cultural adaptation of the recovery self-assessment instrument (RSA–R) person in recovery version to Brazilian Portuguese (Pt/Br)

Purpose The Recovery Self-Assessment (RSA–R) in Revised Version is an instrument designed to assess the degree to which mental health programs and services implement recovery-oriented practices. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a cross-cultural adaptation of the RSA–R instrument for use in local mental health services in the city of Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Design/methodology/approach This method for cross-cultural adaptation of the instrument included a series of iterative steps including preparation, translation, back translation, harmonization, expert evaluation, focus groups, in-depth interviews, expert opinion and pilot study. Findings A multi-rater assessment of the equivalence of content between the original RSA–R and the translated version revealed that each of the 32 items achieved at least 88% agreement in terms of equivalency. A multi-step harmonization process revealed additional suggestions for improvements in readability, comprehension and applicability to Brazilian context. An expert in youth and adult education provided additional stylistic recommendations. Combined, this iterative approach to cross-cultural translation resulted in an adapted version of the instrument that was well understood, culturally appropriate and adequate for further verification of psychometric properties. Originality/value The recovery process in Brazil and in the USA has culturally determined differences in terms of the way mental disorders are understood, diagnosed and treated. Moreover, there are different notions of what constitutes desirable results of recovery, health care and welfare. At the present time, there are few, if any, available cross-cultural instruments to assess the recovery-orientation of services between Brazil and the USA.