Multi-Item Scale:
Item Text:
Feeling unhappy, sad or depressed most of the time (2) [Sich die meiste Zeit unglücklich, traurig oder deprimiert fühlen (2)]
Different Answer Format Tested:
Nein
Findings:
What do the test persons understand by feeling "unhappy, sad, or depressed"?
While all of the Iraqi test persons stated that they felt "moderately" or even "quite" unhappy, sad or depressed, the Syrian test persons stated that this was "not at all," "not very much" or "moderately. The test persons from Afghanistan used the entire range of answers, with "little" being the most frequently selected answer category and thus more similar to the Syrian test persons.
Another difference between the test persons from Iraq on the one hand and from Syria and Afghanistan on the other hand was that only test persons from Syria and Afghanistan (SY01, SY02, SY04, DA05, DA06) made a clear distinction between "unhappy/sad" on the one hand and "depressed" on the other. Sadness was described as something caused by an external event (SY01), such as losing one's house or home due to war (SY01, SY02) or losing an important person (SY03, SY04). Sadness is a negative feeling when one does not feel joy (DA05), but a rather short-term feeling (DA06). Depressiveness, on the other hand, is a stronger negative feeling than sadness (DA05), which is more equivalent to depression (DA06), and especially more persistent than sadness (SY02, DA06). Moreover, depressiveness is not caused by external events, but one carries it within oneself (SY01). One test person explained that sadness is felt when one loses someone, whereas depressiveness is felt when one basically has no one (SY04). For a test person from Afghanistan, the item even contained a double stimulus. She herself was often sad, but not at all depressed, and therefore did not know how to answer (DA06, answer: not specified). None of the test persons from Iraq explicitly made this distinction between sadness/unhappiness and depressed, and all used all three terms synonymously in their explanations.
Despite these differences, the test persons from all three countries named similar triggers and also effects of the feelings, so that the item as a whole was understood in the same way across all three countries of origin. States in which one feels "unhappy, sad or depressed" were often described in connection with the social environment. Some test persons were concerned with the loss of family members (SY03, SY04), while others were concerned with the state of being alone (SY04, IR01) and loneliness (SY02, DA02). One test person mentioned the distance to the family, which was in the country of origin (IR06). Not being able to integrate in Germany (currently due to the Corona pandemic; SY06) and general uncertainty about the future (IR02, IR04) were also mentioned as reasons. The effects mentioned included feelings of restlessness (DA02), but also the need to withdraw into oneself (DA05).
While all of the Iraqi test persons stated that they felt "moderately" or even "quite" unhappy, sad or depressed, the Syrian test persons stated that this was "not at all," "not very much" or "moderately. The test persons from Afghanistan used the entire range of answers, with "little" being the most frequently selected answer category and thus more similar to the Syrian test persons.
Another difference between the test persons from Iraq on the one hand and from Syria and Afghanistan on the other hand was that only test persons from Syria and Afghanistan (SY01, SY02, SY04, DA05, DA06) made a clear distinction between "unhappy/sad" on the one hand and "depressed" on the other. Sadness was described as something caused by an external event (SY01), such as losing one's house or home due to war (SY01, SY02) or losing an important person (SY03, SY04). Sadness is a negative feeling when one does not feel joy (DA05), but a rather short-term feeling (DA06). Depressiveness, on the other hand, is a stronger negative feeling than sadness (DA05), which is more equivalent to depression (DA06), and especially more persistent than sadness (SY02, DA06). Moreover, depressiveness is not caused by external events, but one carries it within oneself (SY01). One test person explained that sadness is felt when one loses someone, whereas depressiveness is felt when one basically has no one (SY04). For a test person from Afghanistan, the item even contained a double stimulus. She herself was often sad, but not at all depressed, and therefore did not know how to answer (DA06, answer: not specified). None of the test persons from Iraq explicitly made this distinction between sadness/unhappiness and depressed, and all used all three terms synonymously in their explanations.
Despite these differences, the test persons from all three countries named similar triggers and also effects of the feelings, so that the item as a whole was understood in the same way across all three countries of origin. States in which one feels "unhappy, sad or depressed" were often described in connection with the social environment. Some test persons were concerned with the loss of family members (SY03, SY04), while others were concerned with the state of being alone (SY04, IR01) and loneliness (SY02, DA02). One test person mentioned the distance to the family, which was in the country of origin (IR06). Not being able to integrate in Germany (currently due to the Corona pandemic; SY06) and general uncertainty about the future (IR02, IR04) were also mentioned as reasons. The effects mentioned included feelings of restlessness (DA02), but also the need to withdraw into oneself (DA05).
Recommendations:
We recommend splitting the item into two items, one asking about "unhappy or sad" and the other asking about "depressed" or "down":
“I felt unhappy or sad.” [„Ich fühlte mich unglücklich oder traurig.“]
“I felt depressed/down.” [„Ich fühlte mich deprimiert/niedergeschlagen.“]
“I felt unhappy or sad.” [„Ich fühlte mich unglücklich oder traurig.“]
“I felt depressed/down.” [„Ich fühlte mich deprimiert/niedergeschlagen.“]
Question tested:
false