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Exploring local idioms of distress among Sudanese youth who witnessed the sit-in massacre: developing the Khartoum distress scale
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867614138110312448 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Badri, Abdelrahman Elmahadi Gasim |
| author2 | Kagee, Ashraf |
| author_browse | Badri, Abdelrahman Elmahadi Gasim Kagee, Ashraf |
| author_facet | Kagee, Ashraf Badri, Abdelrahman Elmahadi Gasim |
| author_sort | Badri, Abdelrahman Elmahadi Gasim |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134503 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:47:16.314Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134503 Exploring local idioms of distress among Sudanese youth who witnessed the sit-in massacre: developing the Khartoum distress scale Badri, Abdelrahman Elmahadi Gasim Kagee, Ashraf Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Psychology. Massacre survivors -- Khartoum (Sudan) Youth -- Khartoum (Sudan) -- Psychology Political violence -- Khartoum (Sudan) Distress in adolescents -- Khartoum (Sudan) Post-traumatic stress disorder Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Badri, A. E. G. 2025. Exploring Local Idioms of Distress Among Sudanese Youth Who Witnessed the Sit-In Massacre: Developing the Khartoum Distress Scale. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/fc953632-2942-4ed4-989d-5b6defc4ee21 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background: Sudan's mental health research and clinical practice have long relied on non-validated Western diagnostic frameworks that fail to capture culturally specific expressions of psychological distress. This gap in valid, culturally sensitive assessment tools is particularly pronounced among Sudanese youth who witnessed the June 3, 2019, Khartoum sit-in massacre, a traumatic event requiring culturally sensitive assessment approaches. The assumption of universal psychopathology underlying Western diagnostic categories (DSM and ICD) hinders a comprehensive understanding of mental health in Sudan's complex multicultural society. Objectives: This study aimed to: (1) explore local idioms of distress among Sudanese youth who witnessed the sit-in massacre; (2) develop assessment instrument items based on qualitative findings; and (3) test the factor structure, validity, and reliability of the resulting instrument. Methods: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. Phase 1 involved semi-structured, and free-listing interviews with 19 participants (14 men, 5 women; ages 21-35). Thematic analysis was used to identify local idioms of distress. Subsequently, a six-member expert panel refined an initial pool of items. In Phase 2, an online survey was completed by 157 participants (ages 18-35; 65% female). The survey included the preliminary Khartoum Distress Scale (KDS), Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 (HSCL-25), and Harvard Trauma Questionnaire trauma symptoms section (HTQ-IV). Exploratory factor analysis and correlation studies were completed to establish psychometric properties. Results: Qualitative analysis revealed three main themes: exposure to violence and loss, psychosocial problems (behavioural, emotional, cognitive, and social disruptions), and five distinct idioms of distress: majnoon (insanity), qalaq (anxiety), nafsiyat (depression-like), sadma/troma (trauma), and somatic expressions. Factor analysis yielded a final 21-item KDS with three factors: Anxio-depressive symptoms (11 items), Trauma symptoms (3 items), and Social withdrawal (7 items). The scale demonstrated excellent overall reliability (Cronbach's α = .94) and strong convergent validity through significant correlations with established measures (HSCL-25: ρ = .892, p<.001; HTQ-IV: ρ = .845, p<.001). Conclusions: This research successfully developed the first culturally grounded psychological distress assessment tool for Sudanese youth who experienced political violence. The emergence of social withdrawal as a distinct factor suggests the importance of incorporating indigenous expressions of distress into mental health assessment and provides evidence that challenges certain Western diagnostic assumptions. The KDS may provide a foundation for culturally responsive mental health screening in Sudan while contributing to broader discussions on decolonizing mental health assessment in the Global South. Future research should validate the instrument across diverse Sudanese populations and explore its utility in guiding culturally informed interventions. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar. Doctoral 2025-12-11T10:28:32Z 2025-12-11T10:28:32Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134503 en Stellenbosch University 378 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Massacre survivors -- Khartoum (Sudan) Youth -- Khartoum (Sudan) -- Psychology Political violence -- Khartoum (Sudan) Distress in adolescents -- Khartoum (Sudan) Post-traumatic stress disorder Badri, Abdelrahman Elmahadi Gasim Exploring local idioms of distress among Sudanese youth who witnessed the sit-in massacre: developing the Khartoum distress scale |
| title | Exploring local idioms of distress among Sudanese youth who witnessed the sit-in massacre: developing the Khartoum distress scale |
| title_full | Exploring local idioms of distress among Sudanese youth who witnessed the sit-in massacre: developing the Khartoum distress scale |
| title_fullStr | Exploring local idioms of distress among Sudanese youth who witnessed the sit-in massacre: developing the Khartoum distress scale |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring local idioms of distress among Sudanese youth who witnessed the sit-in massacre: developing the Khartoum distress scale |
| title_short | Exploring local idioms of distress among Sudanese youth who witnessed the sit-in massacre: developing the Khartoum distress scale |
| title_sort | exploring local idioms of distress among sudanese youth who witnessed the sit in massacre developing the khartoum distress scale |
| topic | Massacre survivors -- Khartoum (Sudan) Youth -- Khartoum (Sudan) -- Psychology Political violence -- Khartoum (Sudan) Distress in adolescents -- Khartoum (Sudan) Post-traumatic stress disorder |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134503 |
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