Introduction: Historical trauma (HT) refers to the collective psychological wounding from massive traumatic events, transmitted across generations. Arab populations have faced wars and displacement, with the Syrian refugee crisis among the largest globally, with over 6.5 million refugees. Lebanon hosts one of the highest refugee-to-population ratios, with about one million registered Syrians. As of 2021, there are approximately 8.36 million Palestinian refugees (BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, 2022). Over 246,800 Sudanese refugees are expected to need resettlement (UNHCR, 2024). While validated tools exist for other populations (e.g., Holocaust survivors, Indigenous peoples), no measure has been developed for Arab populations.
Purpose: This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and psychometrically validate the Historical Intergenerational Trauma Transmission Questionnaire (HITT-Q; Békés & Starrs, 2024) for Arabic speakers. The HITT-Q, based on a transcultural model, assesses vulnerability (e.g., trauma-impacted parenting) and resilience (e.g., cultural identity) factors, plus historical moral injury.
Method: Following forward-backward translation into Modern Standard Arabic, cultural adaptation was guided by a focus group of Arabs, including refugees. Twelve items were adapted, and two were added. The final version was administered to a diverse Arab sample (N = 234, ongoing) alongside validated Arabic measures: International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC).
Results: First results from this project, including confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, and convergent validity, will be presented, along with correlations between the Arabic HITT-Q and mental health outcomes (PTSD, cPTSD, anxiety, depression, and resilience).
Conclusions: The Arabic HITT-Q holds potential for clinical assessment, research, and culturally sensitive interventions aimed at breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma in affected communities, including refugees. This work contributes to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by advancing culturally valid tools for displaced and marginalised communities.