Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the short entrapment scale in a non-clinical sample of young adults

Background Entrapment is the feeling of wanting to leave an unbearable situation but believing that there are no options to do so. An Arabic entrapment Scale will assist healthcare professionals in the region in the prevention of suicide as the tool is tailored to the specific sociocultural context, which would enhance entrapment detection. Objective In the current study, we aim to evaluate the psychometric properties of a translated Arabic version of the Entrapment Scale Short Form (E-SF). Methods Three hundred eighty-nine Lebanese citizens were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Results The mean age of participants was 23.03 years (SD = 2.93), 69.4% being women. To examine the factor structure of the entrapment scale, we used an exploratory-to-confirmatory factor analysis (EFA-to-CFA) strategy. EFA and CFA results indicated that the fit of the unidimensional model of the Arabic Entrapment Scale (A-ES) was generally acceptable. Composite reliability of scores was adequate in the total sample (ω = .87). All indices suggested that configural, metric, and scalar invariance was supported across genders. Entrapment was positively and significantly correlated with suicidal ideation, alcohol use disorder, psychological distress, and orthorexia nervosa, suggesting convergent and divergent validity. Conclusion The A-ES was found to be a valid and reliable tool to assess the degree of entrapment in Lebanese young adults. The A-ES will assist healthcare professionals in the region in the prevention of suicide as the tool is tailored to the specific sociocultural context, which would enhance entrapment detection.