Factor structure, reliability, and measurement invariance of mental health screening tools in Qatar

This study evaluated the factor structure, internal consistency, and measurement invariance of Arabic-translated versions of the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) and the Screener for Externalizing and Internalizing Risks (SEIR). Participants included 405 students in Grades 7–8 from seven public preparatory schools in Doha, Qatar, and 1,000 U.S. students in Grades 7–8. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a three-factor structure for the DESSA and a two-factor structure for the SEIR in both samples. Internal consistency reliability for the Arabic versions was strong and comparable to U.S. norming values. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses using an estimator appropriate for ordinal data supported scalar invariance for both measures, indicating that the underlying constructs of social-emotional competence and internalizing and externalizing risks are interpreted comparably across the Qatari and U.S. samples. These findings provide an important psychometric foundation for the use of the Arabic versions of the DESSA and SEIR in school-based mental health screening in Qatar.