The cultural epidemiology of stigma among people with schizophrenia : Adaptation and cross-cultural validation of the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC), in Dialectal Arabic (Darija), Morocco

Abstract

Introduction: Stigma underlies the violation of certain social, economic, and cultural rights of patients with schizophrenia, including their access to treatment and care. Measurement of stigma remains as complex and multifaceted as the phenomenon itself. Several measurement tools are available to assess the prevalence, intensity and qualities of stigma. The aim of the study was to carry out a cross-cultural adaptation of the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC), in the Moroccan Arabic dialect commonly known as "Darija".

Patients and method: The study was conducted in three psychiatric departments of public hospitals in the Souss-Massa region, located in southern Morocco. For the diagnosis of schizophrenia, the study was based on the decisions of the psychiatrists practicing at the study sites. The cross-cultural adaptation in Moroccan Darija of the stigma scale developed by Michel Weiss in the EMIC was carried out according to the six-step scientific method developed by Dorcas et al.

Results: Cronbach's alpha (internal consistency) was 0.845. Convergent validity determined by Pearson's coefficient showed a significant inter-item correlation and the intra-class correlation coefficient (test-retest) was 0.975 (0.993; 0.991). The item added in relation to the COVID-19 situation presented psychometric values similar to the others.

Conclusion: The Darija version is culturally acceptable and can be used to approach the phenomenon of stigmatization in Morocco.

Keywords: Adaptation transculturelle; COVID-19; EMIC; Schizophrenia; Schizophrénie; Stigma; Stigmatisation; Transcultural adaptation.