Psychometric properties of the short form of the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory in the Arabic language.

Summary

The validated Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI-14) in Arabic shows promise for assessing mindfulness in Arabic-speaking populations. In a study with 363 Lebanese university students (average age 22.65, 61.7% female), the FMI-Ar demonstrated excellent reliability (McDonald's omega and Cronbach's alpha at 0.92). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed its validity, with satisfactory fit indices. Notably, higher FMI scores correlated with lower depression (r = -0.51) and anxiety (r = -0.48), indicating its utility for mental health professionals in the region.

Abstract

Interests in including mindfulness techniques in medical and psychological fields have been increasing recently. Accordingly, it is important to validate the short form of the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI-14) to help professionals living in Arabic speaking countries. Thus, we aimed to validate the FMI-14 in the Arabic language (FMI-Ar) in Arabic-speaking university students from Lebanon. We carried-out a cross-sectional study between July and September 2021; 363 university students (mean age 22.65 ± 3.48 years, 61.7% females) were enrolled. The McDonald's omega and Cronbach's alpha values for the total score were excellent (0.92 for both). Confirmatory factor analysis of the one-factor model of the FMI-Ar showed satisfactory fit indices: χ2/df = 218.33/77 = 2.83, RMSEA = 0.071 [0.060-0.082], CFI = 0.92, and TLI = 0.90. Additionally, the FMI score was negatively associated with depression (r = -0.51; p = 0.001) and anxiety (r = -0.48; p < 0.001). 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.

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