Background

Adapting data collection instruments using transcultural translation and adaptation processes is essential to ensure that respondents comprehend the items and the original meaning is retained across languages and contexts. This approach is central to UNICEF’s efforts to expand the use of standard data collection tools across settings and close the global data gap on adolescent mental health.

Methods

We conducted transcultural translation and adaptation processes in Belize using the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS). Items from the original scale were translated into Belizean English and Kriol, reviewed by local mental health experts, and discussed in focus groups. Cognitive interviews were conducted with adolescents and parents. The information collected was analyzed with cultural equivalence domains: comprehensibility, acceptability, relevance, completeness, and technical equivalence. Bilingual discussions of findings informed the final item wordings, and the adapted tool was back-translated.

Results

Adaptation of terms and specific expressions were done to improve comprehensibility and to ensure the appropriate clinical meaning. For example, the expression ‘feeling scared’ was perceived to imply immaturity or threaten masculinity and was adapted to ‘feeling afraid.’ Expressions like “shaky” were modified to “trimble” in Kriol. Statements were reworded as questions to enhance acceptability and comprehensibility.

Discussion

A culturally adapted version of the RCADS was developed for use among adolescents in Belize in Belizean English and Kriol. The transcultural translation and adaptation procedure can be applied for other settings or tools to design contextual adaptations of mental health instruments prior to their validation or use in new settings.

中文翻译：

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修订后的儿童焦虑和抑郁量表的翻译和改编：伯利兹的定性研究

背景

使用跨文化翻译和改编过程来改编数据收集工具对于确保受访者理解项目并且跨语言和上下文保留原始含义至关重要。这种方法对于联合国儿童基金会努力扩大跨环境标准数据收集工具的使用并缩小全球青少年心理健康数据差距的努力至关重要。

方法

我们使用修订后的儿童焦虑和抑郁量表 (RCADS) 在伯利兹进行了跨文化翻译和适应过程。原始量表中的项目被翻译成伯利兹英语和克里奥尔语，由当地心理健康专家审查，并在焦点小组中进行讨论。对青少年和父母进行了认知访谈。收集到的信息在文化等价领域进行了分析：可理解性、可接受性、相关性、完整性和技术等价性。对调查结果的双语讨论为最终的项目措辞提供了信息，并对改编后的工具进行了反向翻译。

结果

对术语和特定表达进行了改编以提高可理解性并确保适当的临床意义。例如，“feeling scared”这个表达被认为暗示不成熟或威胁男子气概，并被改编为“feeling afraid”。在 Kriol 中，像“摇摇欲坠”这样的表达被修改为“trimble”。陈述被改写为问题，以提高可接受性和可理解性。

讨论

为伯利兹青少年开发了一种文化适应版本的 RCADS，使用伯利兹英语和克里奥尔语。跨文化翻译和适应程序可应用于其他设置或工具，以在验证或在新环境中使用之前设计心理健康工具的上下文适应。