Assessing meaning violations in Syrian refugees: A mixed-methods cross-cultural adaptation of the GMVS-ArabV

Abstract

Refugees are disproportionately affected by extreme trauma events capable of violating core beliefs and life goals, (i.e., global meaning), and causing significant distress. This mixed-methods study used an exploratory sequential design to assess meaning violations in a sample of Syrian refugees living in Portugal. For this purpose, we cross-culturally adapted the Global Meaning Violations Scale (GMVS) for use with Arabic-speaking refugees. Forty-three war-exposed Syrian adults participated in the two-phase study. Participants completed measures of trauma and narrated violations as they filled-out the newly-adapted GMVS-ArabV. GMVS-ArabV validity evidence based on response processes was investigated through Phase 1 Focus Groups (FG; n = 2), whereas data from Phase 2 cognitive interviews (n = 38) were used to preliminarily explored internal structure through descriptive statistics, and culture- and trauma-informed content evidence through thematic analysis. Results suggested highest goal (M = 3.51; SD = 1.46) and lowest belief (M = 3.47; SD = 1.54) violations of educational goals and religious beliefs, respectively. Themes related to stressors, item formulation, response scale, and the global meaning construct suggested that: beliefs and goals can be differentially violated by different stressors; much like war trauma, including torture, daily stressors can additionally shatter pre-trauma global meaning; and refugees reappraise meaning and suffer violations anew throughout migration journeys. The GMVS-ArabV is a promising tool for exploring shattered cognitions in refugees and informs evidence-based approaches to trauma recovery and psychological adjustment in post-migration settings.