Psychometric Properties of the Arabic Dissociative Symptoms Scale—Brief Across Five Arab Countries

Dissociation, involving disruptions in cognition, perception, and identity, is closely linked to trauma and various psychiatric disorders but remains underrecognized, especially in non-Western contexts. Although tools like the Dissociative Symptoms Scale-Brief (DSS-B) have improved assessment, validated Arabic-language versions are lacking. Given rising mental health concerns and limited resources in the Arab world, this study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Arabic-translated DSS-B to support culturally appropriate diagnosis and research on dissociation. In this cross-sectional study, participants from KSA, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan were recruited via snowball sampling and completed an online survey. The DSS-B was translated into Arabic using a forward-backward method and reviewed by experts for cultural and semantic accuracy. Participants also completed validated Arabic versions of the Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-4, and the Brief Irritability Test. Among 1494 participants (mean age = 24.97; 74.5% female), Palestinians showed the highest dissociative symptoms. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed good model fit, excellent reliability (ω = 0.93; α = 0.92), and strong convergent validity average variance extracted (AVE = 0.70). Measurement invariance across genders and countries was supported, with no significant gender differences in scores. Dissociation was positively correlated with depression-anxiety (r = 0.57), irritability (r = 0.51), and loneliness (r = 0.45), confirming concurrent validity, while discriminant validity was also established. This study validates the Arabic DSS-B as a reliable, valid, and culturally adaptable tool for assessing dissociation in Arab populations, reinforcing its clinical and research utility. Future research should explore its generalizability in underrepresented groups, use longitudinal and clinician-based assessments, and investigate neurobiological underpinnings to deepen understanding and application of dissociation measurement globally.