Assessment of problematic anger using an Arabic adaptation of the Dimensions of Anger Reactions Scale-5 (DAR-5)

Background:Anger is a normal human emotion that is a common response to potentially traumatic events and implicated in the development and maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Anger is also a risk factor for aggression and violence. With millions of Syrians having to flee and being refugees in other countries, anger was rarely assessed as there was no brief robust tool for anger in Arabic. Objective: To develop and test an Arabic version of the Dimensions of Anger Reactions 5 (DAR-5) scale, a five-question scale to screen for anger distress and problematic anger in adults and adolescentsMethod:DAR-5 was translated into Arabic, then back translated into English, and finally re-checked for accuracy. Participants were 1641 Syrian adults, (621 males and 1020 females) and 784 adolescents aged between 14-16 years old (355 male and 429 female). Only Arabic speaking participants were included. Measures included the DAR-5 Arabic version (DAR-5 A) for both samples the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS 21) for adults and the Children Revised Impact of Events Scale – 8 (CRIES-8). Results:High levels of internal reliability were reported (Cronbach’s α of .86) and factor analysis found that DAR-5-A scores fit as a single-factor model. Problematic anger rates were 35.8% and 60.3% of adults and adolescents respectively across the population using the cut-off point for DAR-5-A of ≥12. This cut off score also differentiated between scores high versus low scores on anxiety, depression and stress. Conclusions:This study reinforces the importance of assessing for anger in these populations. The DAR-5A written in formal Arabic, is a critical measure that can be used as a brief measure to assess for this problematic anger in Syrians and other Arabic-speaking communities