Multi-Item Scale:
Item Text:
Reliving a trauma (emotional injury) from the past; behaving or feeling as if it were happening again now (10) [Ein Trauma (seelische Verletzung) aus der Vergangenheit wieder zu erleben; mich zu verhalten oder zu fühlen, als würde es jetzt wieder passieren (10)]
Different Answer Format Tested:
Nein
Findings:
What do the test persons understand by the term "trauma"?
The word trauma only caused problems for one test person from Afghanistan, who knew the word but in the sense of a physical trauma from the medical field (DA03). This test person spontaneously asked how the word was to be understood, because she noticed that the explanation as "mental injury" in brackets behind it contrasted with her understanding of the term.
All other test persons were able to define the term without any problems. Trauma exists when events from the past have a negative influence on the future (SY01) or when one is psychologically impaired by the past (DA05, DA06). Negative sensations are considered a trauma if one cannot escape them, but one's thoughts revolve around them again and again (SY02). Traumas are events that cannot be explained (IR02).
The test persons named a wide variety of events that could trigger trauma. The most frequently mentioned were experiences from home that had led to flight (SY03, SY05, IR03, IR04, IR06, DA02, DA03), or the flight itself (SY02, DA02, DA03). In Syria, the events described included the shelling of civilians by the air force and the sight of the dead, as well as the unaccounted for whereabouts of relatives (SY03, SY05). The test persons from Iraq told that they had witnessed murders and acts of IS and Al-Qaeda and that terrorists had come to their place of residence and kidnapped young people who had never returned (IR03, IR06).
In addition to the flight-related aspects, the loss of important people (e.g., parents or own children) was named as the most frequent trigger of trauma, especially by test persons from Syria (SY02, SY03, SY04, SY05, SY06, IR01). Two test persons mentioned occupational events as possible triggers of trauma (SY01, DA03), such as a dismissal or the frustration of not finding a job in Germany. In addition, the family situation in marriage, betrayal or cheating up to separation (SY01, IR01, IR04) could trigger trauma. Lastly, the reason for trauma could also lie in childhood (DA04).
How do the test persons arrive at their answers?
Five test persons stated that they suffered "quite" or "extremely" from reliving traumas from the past. The explanations of three of these test persons indicated that they suffered from a re-experiencing of past situations that clearly went beyond a mere recollection. One test person from Iraq had experienced terrorists coming to her hometown in Iraq and kidnapping young people who never returned. She said she had to think about that when she went to sleep. These memories still caused her such anxiety that she feared it might happen to her as well (response: extreme). Another test person stated that memories from home "buzzed around" in her head as if they were happening now (IR03, response: extreme). The third test person stated that her memories even preoccupied her more since she was in Germany (IR04, response: quite). For the other two test persons, it remained unclear whether they were reliving traumatic events as if they were happening now, or whether they "merely" had to think about these events often and intensely. One of these test persons spontaneously asked how it was to be understood that something occurred to one "as if it were happening again now" (SY05). She understood it as grief or sorrow and thought of the unresolved whereabouts of relatives and the death of a parent, which bothered her a lot. The second test person had thought of the separation of her own family, which had thrown her into a deep crisis (IR05). In both cases, the test persons suffered from traumatic events that strongly influenced their current lives.
On the other side of the response scale, four test persons stated that they relive traumas from the past "a little". Two of them stated that they had suffered more from recurring traumas in the past. One test person had been repeatedly traumatized in the course of her life and had always relived these situations internally until about a year ago. In recent months, she had been able to work on this with the help of a psychiatrist, which is why she gave "little" as her answer (IR02). Another test person stated that in the meantime she no longer had to think only of negative events in and in a sad mood about her homeland but could enjoy beautiful memories again (SY06). Six test persons stated that they did not relive traumas "at all," two of whom stated that they had experienced traumatic events in their homeland; however, they would not take such events with them so easily (SY01) or had come to terms with them in the meantime (SY02). The other test persons stated that they had not experienced any traumas (DA01, DA04, DA05, DA06).
What time periods do test persons think of when answering the question?
To answer the item, test persons had to consider two time spans: First, Item 10 vaguely asked about a trauma "from the past"; in addition, test persons were asked to indicate whether they had relived such a trauma "in the past four weeks".
Regarding the phrase "from the past," seven test persons stated that they would refer exclusively to the time in their home country and their flight (SY03, SY06, IR03, IR04, IR06, DA01, DA02), while six test persons stated that the question referred to their entire life, from birth to yesterday (SY01, SY02, SY04, IR02, DA03, DA06). Two test persons from Iraq related the question exclusively to their immediate past in Germany and mentioned a period of no more than two years (IR01, IR05). One test person was also of the opinion that it was primarily about childhood (DA04).
Regardless of the different time spans, the test persons included all potentially traumatizing events from their lives. Several test persons also stated that they were less likely to relive trauma in the meantime, indicating that they related the question to their current situation in the last four weeks. There were no differences regarding the time periods mentioned by language or country of origin.
The word trauma only caused problems for one test person from Afghanistan, who knew the word but in the sense of a physical trauma from the medical field (DA03). This test person spontaneously asked how the word was to be understood, because she noticed that the explanation as "mental injury" in brackets behind it contrasted with her understanding of the term.
All other test persons were able to define the term without any problems. Trauma exists when events from the past have a negative influence on the future (SY01) or when one is psychologically impaired by the past (DA05, DA06). Negative sensations are considered a trauma if one cannot escape them, but one's thoughts revolve around them again and again (SY02). Traumas are events that cannot be explained (IR02).
The test persons named a wide variety of events that could trigger trauma. The most frequently mentioned were experiences from home that had led to flight (SY03, SY05, IR03, IR04, IR06, DA02, DA03), or the flight itself (SY02, DA02, DA03). In Syria, the events described included the shelling of civilians by the air force and the sight of the dead, as well as the unaccounted for whereabouts of relatives (SY03, SY05). The test persons from Iraq told that they had witnessed murders and acts of IS and Al-Qaeda and that terrorists had come to their place of residence and kidnapped young people who had never returned (IR03, IR06).
In addition to the flight-related aspects, the loss of important people (e.g., parents or own children) was named as the most frequent trigger of trauma, especially by test persons from Syria (SY02, SY03, SY04, SY05, SY06, IR01). Two test persons mentioned occupational events as possible triggers of trauma (SY01, DA03), such as a dismissal or the frustration of not finding a job in Germany. In addition, the family situation in marriage, betrayal or cheating up to separation (SY01, IR01, IR04) could trigger trauma. Lastly, the reason for trauma could also lie in childhood (DA04).
How do the test persons arrive at their answers?
Five test persons stated that they suffered "quite" or "extremely" from reliving traumas from the past. The explanations of three of these test persons indicated that they suffered from a re-experiencing of past situations that clearly went beyond a mere recollection. One test person from Iraq had experienced terrorists coming to her hometown in Iraq and kidnapping young people who never returned. She said she had to think about that when she went to sleep. These memories still caused her such anxiety that she feared it might happen to her as well (response: extreme). Another test person stated that memories from home "buzzed around" in her head as if they were happening now (IR03, response: extreme). The third test person stated that her memories even preoccupied her more since she was in Germany (IR04, response: quite). For the other two test persons, it remained unclear whether they were reliving traumatic events as if they were happening now, or whether they "merely" had to think about these events often and intensely. One of these test persons spontaneously asked how it was to be understood that something occurred to one "as if it were happening again now" (SY05). She understood it as grief or sorrow and thought of the unresolved whereabouts of relatives and the death of a parent, which bothered her a lot. The second test person had thought of the separation of her own family, which had thrown her into a deep crisis (IR05). In both cases, the test persons suffered from traumatic events that strongly influenced their current lives.
On the other side of the response scale, four test persons stated that they relive traumas from the past "a little". Two of them stated that they had suffered more from recurring traumas in the past. One test person had been repeatedly traumatized in the course of her life and had always relived these situations internally until about a year ago. In recent months, she had been able to work on this with the help of a psychiatrist, which is why she gave "little" as her answer (IR02). Another test person stated that in the meantime she no longer had to think only of negative events in and in a sad mood about her homeland but could enjoy beautiful memories again (SY06). Six test persons stated that they did not relive traumas "at all," two of whom stated that they had experienced traumatic events in their homeland; however, they would not take such events with them so easily (SY01) or had come to terms with them in the meantime (SY02). The other test persons stated that they had not experienced any traumas (DA01, DA04, DA05, DA06).
What time periods do test persons think of when answering the question?
To answer the item, test persons had to consider two time spans: First, Item 10 vaguely asked about a trauma "from the past"; in addition, test persons were asked to indicate whether they had relived such a trauma "in the past four weeks".
Regarding the phrase "from the past," seven test persons stated that they would refer exclusively to the time in their home country and their flight (SY03, SY06, IR03, IR04, IR06, DA01, DA02), while six test persons stated that the question referred to their entire life, from birth to yesterday (SY01, SY02, SY04, IR02, DA03, DA06). Two test persons from Iraq related the question exclusively to their immediate past in Germany and mentioned a period of no more than two years (IR01, IR05). One test person was also of the opinion that it was primarily about childhood (DA04).
Regardless of the different time spans, the test persons included all potentially traumatizing events from their lives. Several test persons also stated that they were less likely to relive trauma in the meantime, indicating that they related the question to their current situation in the last four weeks. There were no differences regarding the time periods mentioned by language or country of origin.
Recommendations:
For better comprehensibility and in accordance with the goal of standardization, we recommend formulating the item in the first person and shortening the text:
“I was reliving a trauma (emotional injury) from the past, i.e., it felt like it was happening now.” [„Ich erlebte ein Trauma (seelische Verletzung) aus der Vergangenheit wieder, d. h, es fühlte sich an, als würde es jetzt passieren.“]
“I was reliving a trauma (emotional injury) from the past, i.e., it felt like it was happening now.” [„Ich erlebte ein Trauma (seelische Verletzung) aus der Vergangenheit wieder, d. h, es fühlte sich an, als würde es jetzt passieren.“]
Question tested:
true