Browsing by Author "Cheour, Majda"
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- Validation of the Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire (DCQ) in First- Episode SchizophreniaPublication . Fekih‐Romdhane, Feten; Bouallègue, Nour; Ali, Amira Mohammed; Laranjeira, Carlos; Cheour, Majda; Harb, Frederic; Souheil, Hallit; McGorry, Patrick DBackground: There is evidence that suggests that body dysmorphia represents a risk factor that may occur at the prodromal phase of schizophrenia, affecting ongoing developmental processes and conferring vulnerability to the disease. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Arabic Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire (DCQ) among patients with a first- episode schizophrenia in a Tunisian, Arabic- speaking context. Method: A cross- sectional study was conducted. Data collection was performed using a traditional paper- and- pencil approach by a single interviewer, who was one of the study's authors. Results: Our findings showed that the unidimensional factor structure of the DCQ holds up in patients with schizophrenia from a Tunisian culture and at an early stage of their disease, and shows excellent reliability (Cronbach's α of 0.91) in this specific population. Measurement invariance was supported in terms of three levels (configural, scalar and metric). Convergent validity of the DCQ was evidenced through significant positive correlations of the scale with abnormal bodily phenomena, muscle dysmorphia and body dissatisfaction. Besides, concurrent validity was demonstrated via significant positive correlations between the DCQ and four other measures: psychological distress, disordered eating, insight and psychotic symptoms severity. Conclusion: The DCQ showed good validity and reliability for measuring dysmorphic concerns in patients with schizophrenia from a Tunisian culture and at an early stage of their disease. The sound psychometric performance of the DCQ, its short administration time, as well as easy scoring and interpretability make it an excellent instrument for use in future clinical and research endeavours.
- Validation of the Eight‐Item Paranoid Thoughts Scale (GPTS‐8) in Tunisian Arab AdultsPublication . Fekih‐Romdhane, Feten; Ghorbel, Ons; Laranjeira, Carlos; Cheour, Majda; Harb, Frederic; Hallit, SouheilBackground Growing research indicated that it is highly valuable and clinically beneficial to quantitatively measure and detect the potential presence of paranoid thinking. Among the various existing self-report instruments to measure paranoia, the Green et al. Paranoid Thoughts Scale (GPTS) was recommended as having the most well-defined, clearly articulated construct underlying its items, and the strongest psychometric qualities in general and clinical population samples. Yet, the psychometric performance of the GPTS remains unknown in the Arab language and culture. To address this gap, our study aimed to explore the psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the shortest version of the scale (i.e., the GPTS-8). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected during the period September 1st 2024 to January 31th 2025. A total of 552 Arabic-speaking general population adults from Tunisia aged 25.81 ± 4.86 years participated. Results Analyses provided support for a bidimensional model, with a first dimension referring to ideas of persecution and a second one corresponding to ideas of reference. The internal consistency reliability coefficients were high, with both Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's ω reported to be 0.83 for ideas of persecution and 0.83 for ideas of reference. Measurement invariance was established for both subscales, implying that the Arabic GPTS-8 measures the same underlying construct of paranoia in the same way across male and female respondents. Finally, paranoia scores correlated positively with psychotic experiences scores, indicating convergent validity, as well as with depression, anxiety and insomnia scores, supporting the concurrent validity of the scale. Conclusion By translating and validating GPTS-8 for the first time in Arabic, this study contributes to rendering the tool available to a broader array of clinicians and researchers who work with Arabic-speaking people. We believe the new Arabic version of the GPTS-8 will provide further encouragement to research and development in this yet-unexplored field among Arabic-speakers.