DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_731_25 ISSN: 2277-9531

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the National Stressful Events Survey PTSD Short Scale based on DSM-5 in betrayed women

Parinaz Shekari, Nemat Sotodehasl, Raheb Ghorbani
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BACKGROUND:

Betrayal trauma, such as marital infidelity, often leads to significant psychological distress, including symptoms consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Reliable and culturally relevant tools are essential for assessing PTSD in affected populations. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the Persian version of the National Stressful Events Survey PTSD Short Scale (NSESSS-PTSD) in women experiencing marital betrayal.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This cross-sectional study assessed the Persian NSESSS-PTSD among 128 women attending psychological clinics in Tehran, Iran. Participants were selected using convenience sampling. The mean age of participants was 35.4 years (SD = 7.8). Research tools included the 9-item NSESSS-PTSD, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB), and Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS). Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS (version 26). Reliability was evaluated through Cronbach’s alpha (internal consistency) and test–retest methods. CFA was conducted to confirm the scale’s structure, and validity was assessed via correlations with related scales.

RESULTS:

The Persian NSESSS-PTSD demonstrated excellent reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.91) and strong test–retest reliability ( r = 0.88, P < 0.001). CFA supported a unidimensional structure, with goodness of fit indices (χ 2 /df = 2.15, CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.05, NFI = 0.91). Convergent validity was supported by significant correlations with PCL-5 ( r = 0.81, P < 0.001) and IES-R ( r = 0.79, P = 0.001). Divergent validity was demonstrated through moderate negative correlations with PWB ( r = −0.51, P = 0.002) and SHS ( r = −0.47, P = 0.004).

CONCLUSION:

The Persian NSESSS-PTSD is a reliable and valid tool for assessing PTSD symptoms in betrayed women, providing a valuable resource for clinicians and researchers in culturally similar contexts. The study’s limitations include reliance on convenience sampling, which may affect generalizability, and a cross-sectional design that prevents causal inference. However, its strengths lie in the targeted population, use of DSM-5-based tools, and robust statistical validation procedures, offering novel contributions to PTSD assessment in culturally specific settings.

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