Validation of the Arabic-Language Version of the Laune-Slade Hallucinations Scale-Extended (LSHS-E) in Young General...

To date, no validated Arabic version of the Laune-Slade Hallucination Scale (LSHS) has been reported, and this scale has not been used in any Arab countries including Tunisia. This study has as main goal to investigate the psychometric reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the extended version of the LSHS (LSHS-E) scores in a Tunisian sample.

Cross-sectional data were collected from April 2025 to June 2025. Our target population consisted of 416 young adults aged 18-35 years. The forward-backward translation methodology was followed to obtain the Arabic version of the LSHS-E. The Arabic LSHS-E was tested against the Prodromal Questionnaire-brief for convergent validity and for other relevant measures for concurrent validity of the scores. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to estimate construct validity indicators.

Findings showed that up to 93.3% of our sample endorsed at least one of the hallucination experiences. Fit indices showed that the four-factor solution determined by previous factorial studies fitted the data well. Besides, the psychometric equivalence of the LSHS-E between sex groups has been tested and verified at the metric, scalar, and configural levels. No differences in the intensity of hallucinatory experiences between males and females were found. As expected, results revealed that individuals with greater levels of hallucinatory experiences were more likely to admit having endorsed positive psychotic experiences. Finally, higher LSHS-E scores were associated with greater depression, anxiety, lower sleep quality, and more suicidal ideation.

Our findings provide the first evidence supporting the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the LSHS-E scores for assessing hallucinatory experiences in the Tunisian community population. The scale can benefit clinicians by helping them to timely and successfully detect people at risk for or experiencing hallucinations. Researchers and policymakers developing prevention programs could make use of the scale when designing and implementing hallucination prevention strategies to ensure their effectiveness and cultural appropriateness.