Developing instruments for cross-cultural psychiatric research.
The growth of cross-cultural psychiatry is now occurring at a time when psychiatry in general is emphasizing diagnostic clarity and the use of quantifiable and reliable methods of collecting clinical and research data. It is now imperative that cross-cultural psychiatry also examine its methods for developing instruments for use in cross-cultural research. This paper outlines a method for developing instruments designed in one culture for use in a second, and particular attention is given to cross-cultural validity or equivalence. Five types of equivalence are enumerated and defined: content, semantic, technical, criterion, and conceptual equivalence. These concepts are illustrated by examples from the authors' experience in research on internal migrants in Peru.
Flaherty
J A
JA
Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago 60612.
Gaviria
F M
FM
Pathak
D
D
Mitchell
T
T
Wintrob
R
R
Richman
J A
JA
Birz
S
S
D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010568:Peru; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012107:Research Design; D012917:Social Adjustment; D014171:Transients and Migrants