Psychometric Properties of the Self-Hate Scale in an Arabic-Speaking Population

This study aimed to translate the Self-Hate Scale (SHS), originally developed by Turnell et al. (2019), and to evaluate its psychometric properties to determine its cultural appropriateness for Arabic-speaking populations. The present study was conducted with 500 participants, and a pilot study involving 100 participants was carried out prior to the main study. A substantial and positive correlation was identified between the Arabic and English versions following the translation of the scale into Arabic, thereby confirming linguistic equivalence. Validity and reliability analyses showed that the SHS-Arabic form confirmed seven items under a single factor with good factor loadings. Self-hate scores were positively correlated with depression and anxiety, and negatively correlated with multiple dimensions of psychological well-being, including self-compassion, self-kindness, mindfulness, self-awareness, and common humanity. Simple linear regression analyses indicated that self-hate significantly predicted increased levels of depression and anxiety, as well as reduced levels of self-compassion, self-kindness, mindfulness, self-awareness, and common humanity. These suggest the potential role of self-hate as a risk factor for mental health problems and reduced psychological well-being in individuals. In conclusion, the findings provide strong evidence that the SHS-Arabic is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing self-hate in Arabic-speaking populations. The use of the scale is recommended for researchers and clinicians to better understand self-directed negative evaluations and their complex relationships with mental health outcomes.