[Evaluation of insomnia: validity of 3 questionnaires]

Insomnia is a widespread problem impairing daytime functioning and carrying important social and economic costs. No valid instrument exists in French to assess sleep difficulties. Two studies assess the French translation of three insomnia measures. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Sleep Impairment Rating Scales (SIRS) and the Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep (BAS) questionnaires were selected according to their clinical utility. Study one established the inferential translation of the preliminary versions with six expert judges. The empirical equivalence of the original and translated versions were confirmed with bilingual nonclinical sample. Study two assessed the fidelity and convergent validity of these instruments with a nonclinical French sample. The results showed adequate internal consistency; test-retest fidelity for a two-week interval was acceptable. The findings on convergent validity are also appropriate. While future research is necessary to confirm their psychometric properties, these questionnaires are good measures to assess insomnia in a research or clinical context.