Advanced search×

Is torture reliably assessed and a valid indicator of poor mental health?

Michael M Hollifield, Teddy D TD Warner, and Joseph J Westermeyer

J Nerv Ment Dis 199(1):3-10 (2011) PMID 21206240

Torture is thought to confer worse mental health than other war-related traumatic events. However, reliability of torture assessment and validity of torture constructs as indicators of poor mental health have not been systematically evaluated. Study aims were to assess the psychometric properties of 2 common torture constructs. Refugees were assessed for having experienced torture by 1 subjective and 1 objective criterion. A subset was interviewed about definitions and effects of torture. Reliability and validity of torture constructs were assessed with general linear models. Interview data were analyzed for consistency of themes. Reliability of torture constructs was moderate, which paralleled inconsistencies in interview themes. Both torture criteria had similar dose-dependent relationships to mental health. Multivariate analyses showed that torture was not an independent predictor of poor mental health when controlling for the number of war-related events. Further work is needed to define torture from distinct medical and legal perspectives to improve reliability and validity.

DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e3182051501
Version: za2963e q8zad q8zbf q8zcb q8zd9 q8ze7 q8zf0 q8zga

Similar articles you may find interesting…

  1. Development and validation of the 21-item Children's Vision for Living Scale (CVLS) by Rasch analysis.
    Kholoud A Bokhary, Catherine Suttle, and Mei Ying Boon

    Clin Exp Optom (2013) PMID 23646873

    The final 21-item questionnaire had good validity and reliability as demonstrated by person separation of 2.02, person reliability of 0.80 (mean square and standard deviation: infit = 1.01 ± 0.39; outfit = 1.01 ± 0.40) and item reliability of 0.93 (item infit range = 1.33 to 0.78; item outfit rang...
  2. Development and Validation of the Alcohol Myopia Scale.
    Andrew Lac and Dale E Berger

    Psychol Assess (2013) PMID 23647033

    Alcohol myopia theory conceptualizes the ability of alcohol to narrow attention and how this demand on mental resources produces the impairments of self-inflation, relief, and excess. The current research was designed to develop and validate a scale based on this framework. People wh...
  3. Secondary Trauma Self-Efficacy: Concept and Its Measurement.
    Roman Cieslak, Kotaro Shoji, and Charles C Benight

    Psychol Assess (2013) PMID 23647049

    The Secondary Trauma Self-Efficacy (STSE) Scale was developed and psychometrically evaluated in 2 studies targeting populations indirectly exposed to traumatic events through work with traumatized clients. Study 1 enrolled behavioral health professionals (n = 247) providing trauma th...