Psychometric Evaluation of the Turkish Language Version of the Profile of Mood States (Poms)

Abstract

Aim: The POMS was developed to assess short-term mood changes and consisted of 65 adjectives and 6 subscales. The purpose of the study was to assess the translation adequacy of a Turkish version of the POMS, and to report the decision-making process of overcoming methodological faults. Method: The English version was translated to Turkish by expert team approach. Factor analysis for construct validation was predominantly used for assessment, in addition to other techniques: back translation, use of bilingual subjects, and correlation with other instruments for concurrent validation. Results: The final 58-item Turkish version has suitable psychometric properties. Our findings, based on data from Turkish participants, replicated the original 6-factor solution ("depression-dejection"-15, "tension-anxiety"-9, "anger-hostility"-12, "confusion-bewilderment"-7, "fatigue-inertia"-7, and "vigor-activity"-8). To achieve an acceptable fit, it was necessary to omit 7 items that did not fit any factor. We verified these results by conducting a confirmatory factor analysis on the validation sample and obtaining comparable fit and comparable factor loadings. The concurrent validity of this form was evidenced by the correlations between scores from the POMS subscales and scores from measures of anxiety and depression. Conclusions: Although the study shows valid psychometric properties, further studies made in various populations are needed to assess the sensitivity of the scale.