Validation of the Arabic Version of the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI-Ar) Among a Sample of Lebanese University Students
Year: 2022
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background Mindfulness presents a self-regulation tool allowing the individual to recognize and accept mental experiences. We chose to validate the short form of FMI called FMI-14, since it contains all aspects of the original long version and it can be used among various general population. Interests in including mindfulness techniques in medical and psychological fields has been increasing recently. Accordingly, it is important to validate FMI-14-Ar to help professionals living in the Arabic speaking countries. Thus, the main objective of this study was to validate the Arabic version of the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI-Ar) among a sample of Lebanese university students. Methods This study is a cross-sectional one carried out between July and September 2021 and enrolling 363 Lebanese university students recruited through convenience sampling through several Lebanese universities. The questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics and the following scales: Lebanese Anxiety Scale (LAS-10) to assess anxiety, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess depression and Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI) to assess mindfulness. To estimate categorical confirmatory factor analysis of the FMI scale the Mplus was used and SPSS software version 23 was used for data analysis. Results Participants mean age was 22.65 ± 3.48 years, and the majority 61.7% were females. The fit indices of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the one-factor model of the FMI came out as follows: χ2/df= 218.33/77=2.83, RMSEA= 0.071 [0.060-0.082], CFI=0.92 and TLI= 0.90. The Cronbach’s alpha value for the total scale was excellent (0.92). Additionally, the FMI score was negatively associated with anxiety (r=-0.48; p<0.001) and depression (r=-0.51; p=0.001). Conclusion All hypotheses (factor, convergent, and divergent validity) related to the FMI-Ar were verified in our study. Therefore, professionals can now benefit from the FMI-Ar, a suitable scale to measure mindfulness among Lebanese university students.
Source: Research Square
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4206905893