Thematic analysis of the raters’ experiences administering scales to assess depression and suicide in Arab schizophrenia patients

Abstract

Background This study aimed to enhance the cultural adaptation and training on administering the Arabic versions of the Calgary Depression Scale in Schizophrenia (CDSS) and The International Scale for Suicidal Thinking (ISST) to Arab schizophrenia patients in Doha, Qatar. Methods We applied the qualitative thematic analysis of the focus group discussions with clinical research coordinators (CRCs). Five CRCs met with the principal investigator for two sessions; we transcribed the conversations and analyzed the content. Results This study revealed one set of themes related to the scales themselves, like the role of the clinician-patient relationship during administration, the semantic variations in Arabic dialects, and the design of scales to assess suicide and differentiate between negative symptoms and depression. The other set of themes is relevant to the sociocultural domains of Muslim Arabs, covering religion, families’ roles, and stigma. It also covered the approaches to culturally sensitive issues like suicide, taboos in Islam, and the gender roles in Arab countries and their impact on the patients’ reports of their symptoms. Conclusions Our results highlight several cultural and religious aspects to tackle when approaching schizophrenia patients through in-depth discussions and training to improve the validity of the assessment tools and treatment services.