Validation of the urdu translation of mental health continuum-short form (MHC-SF): Education in perspective

Abstract

Purpose: The construct of well-being using Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) (Corey L. M. Keyes et al., 2008) has been studied across various cultures, validated across several populations and languages. However, there are no published psychometric properties of its Urdu version. This study is an attempt to bridge this gap. The need was felt to translate and linguistically validate the MHC-SF into the Urdu language for male and female Pakistani students. Methodology The study had two phases: In phase, I, the Urdu translation of the MHC-SF was carried out using Mapi guidelines for the standard forward and backward translation methods. In phase II, validation of the MHC-SF was determined, yielding confirmatory factor analysis. For the empirical evaluation, a sample of 712 students, including both 368 males and 344 females of undergraduate and postgraduate level with the age range of 18-28 years (M =23.58, SD= 3.35) were recruited. The psychometric evolution of the MHC-SF turned into excellent validity and reliability estimates for constructs. Moreover, strict measurement invariance was established for MHC-SF across males and females.