Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41917848›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2026

Reliability and validity of the Kurdish version of the patient health questionnaire-15 in a trauma-affected population.

Ibrahim Mohammed, Hataw Ahmed Sharif, Jan Kizilhan, Bushra Hasin, Sergi Papiol, Monika Ruebekeil, Urs Heilbronner, Thomas G Schulze, Martin Hautzinger

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ibrahim MohammedEberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. hama-seed-ibrahim.mohammed@uni-tuebingen.de.ORCID 0000-0002-1185-3995
Hataw Ahmed SharifEberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.ORCID 0009-0005-6816-8859
Jan KizilhanInstitute for Transcultural Health Science - Institute for Transcultural Health Research, DHBW Stuttgart, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2925-101X
Bushra HasinUniversity of Sulaimani College of Medicine, Kurdistan Region, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.ORCID 0009-0005-1569-0985
Sergi PapiolInstitute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-9366-8728
Monika RuebekeilInstitute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Urs HeilbronnerInstitute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-7135-762X
Thomas G SchulzeInstitute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-6624-2975
Martin HautzingerKlinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-6082-2602

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSomatic symptoms are common among trauma-exposed populations and are often associated with persistent distress and functional impairment, highlighting the need for culturally appropriate assessment tools.

objectiveThis study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), a screening measure of somatic symptom burden, into Central Kurdish and assess its psychometric properties among survivors of chemical gas exposure.

methodsA total of 534 survivors were recruited through community and registry sources. After translation and cultural adaptation, item 4 and item 11 were removed due to cultural and gender-specific considerations and limited psychometric performance, resulting in a 13-item version. Factor structure was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). Measurement invariance across gender and age groups was evaluated using multi-group CFA. Internal consistency was assessed using McDonald’s omega. An exploratory network analysis (EBICglasso) examined conditional associations among symptoms.

resultsBoth a unidimensional CFA model (CFI = 0.988, RMSEA = 0.054) and a three-factor ESEM model (CFI = 0.992, RMSEA = 0.046) showed good model fit, with the ESEM structure providing a more differentiated representation of pain/fatigue, gastrointestinal, and cardiopulmonary domains. Measurement invariance testing supported full scalar invariance across gender, while partial metric invariance was observed across age groups. Internal consistency was acceptable (ω = 0.70–0.83). Network estimates demonstrated acceptable stability, with correlation stability coefficients of 0.59 for edge strength and 0.52 for bridge strength, and should be interpreted as exploratory.

conclusionThe culturally adapted 13-item Kurdish PHQ demonstrates acceptable reliability and initial evidence of construct validity in trauma-exposed survivors of chemical attacks. The instrument may be used as a screening tool for somatic symptom burden in this context, while further validation in broader Kurdish populations is recommended.

Indexed as

Patient Health QuestionnaireAdolescentAdultFactor Analysis, StatisticalFemaleHumansIraqMaleMiddle AgedPsychometricsReproducibility of ResultsSurveys and QuestionnairesSurvivorsYoung AdultKurdistanPHQ-15PsychometricsTranslationTrauma

Identifiers

PMID41917848
PMCPMC13063784

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.