Migration-Related Stress Among Haitians: Cross-Cultural Translation of the Demands of Immigration Scale.

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Although the Haitian population in the United States continues to grow, there is a lack of instruments in Haitian Creole to assess risk factors associated with poor mental health such as migration-related stress. This study described the translation of the Demands of Immigration Scale (DIS) and evaluated psychometric properties, meaning equivalence, and understandability of the Haitian Creole/English DIS. Methods: I applied the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy translation procedures and recruited 76 first-generation Haitian immigrants to pilot test the DIS. Results: Reliability was strong (α > .93). Meaning equivalence was maintained (r = .979), 75% understood both DIS versions equally, and 80% rated the translation as excellent/good. The DIS significantly correlated with gender, income, age, age at migration, English fluency, and depression. Conclusions: The DIS can reliably identify immigration-related social determinants of mental health and is ready for use in Haitian Creole.