International Journal of Culture and Mental Health
Volume 10, Issue 1, 2017, Pages 1-18

Construct validity of the HSCL-25 and SCL-90-Somatization scales among Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin migrants in Finland (Article)

Kuittinen S.* , García Velázquez R. , Castaneda A.E. , Punamäki R.-L. , Rask S. , Suvisaari J.
  • a School of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
  • b Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
  • c Team of Multicultural Wellbeing, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
  • d School of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
  • e Team of Multicultural Wellbeing, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
  • f Team of Multicultural Wellbeing, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

Abstract

One of the most fundamental issues in psychiatric assessment across different sociocultural and linguistic groups is assuring test reliability and validity. We analyze the construct validity of the HSCL-25 depression and anxiety scales and the SCL-90-Somatization scale in a population-based study (Finnish Migrant Health and Wellbeing Study) among 1356 Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin migrants (aged 18–64 years old) in Finland using an Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling approach. The results revealed problems in establishing measurement invariance of the HSCL-25 depression and anxiety and SCL-90-Somatization scales. Two types of exploratory analysis (Exploratory Factor Analysis and Network Analysis) confirmed the mismatch between the theoretical structure and the data set. In addition, there were considerable group differences between the Russian, Somali and Kurdish groups, with the Somali group in particular showing differing results. The results are discussed in relation to sociocultural variation in manifesting psychological distress and psychiatric assessment in multicultural settings. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Author Keywords

Migrants Depression Refugees Anxiety test validity Measurement invariance somatization

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84992213070&doi=10.1080%2f17542863.2016.1244213&partnerID=40&md5=abe2cdde3787d5c8937080eedea421f0
DOI: 10.1080/17542863.2016.1244213
ISSN: 17542863
Cited by: 3
Original Language: English