An Arabic validation of a depression inventory.

The present study describes an Arabic cross-cultural validation of the Beck Depression Inventory. An Arab sample of 53 cases was subjected to the original validation procedures which involved a preliminary exercise and a translation from English to Arabic. Acceptable equivalent meanings of Beck's depth-of-depression criteria were established by the Arab clinicians so that independent and valid clinical ratings could be made. Statistical analyses of the internal consistency and stability of the Arabic-BDI indicated a high degree of reliability. Correlations between Arabic-BDI scores and Arab clinicians' ratings indicated a high degree of validity. The results of the cross-cultural validation study agree favorably with those of the original American validation. Although the Arabic inventory makes possible an assessment of the level and intensity of a reactive type depression suffered by Saudi Arab psychiatric outpatients living in the Eastern Province, it must be adapted dialectically for other Arab-speaking regions.