Cultural adaptation and factor structure of the kazakh version of the brief cope

Abstract

The present study is devoted to the translation and adaptation of the Brief COPE questionnaire, as well as to the evaluation of its psychometric properties. The aim of the study is the cultural and linguistic adaptation of the Brief COPE questionnaire and the analysis of its factor structure in a Kazakh-speaking sample from the Republic of Kazakhstan. The study involved 495 respondents aged 16–67 years. The questionnaire was administered in a dispositional format and was intended to assess relatively stable ways of coping with stress.

Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to examine the structure of the instrument. The suitability of the data for factor analysis was confirmed by a high Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure (KMO = 0,878) and a statistically significant Bartlett’s test of sphericity (χ² = 6793,286; df = 378; p < 0,001). The analysis revealed a seven-factor structure of the Kazakh version of the Brief COPE. The identified factors reflect the main functional domains of coping with stress and together explain 54.7% of the total variance.

The final model included 25 items; three items from the original version were excluded due to high uniqueness and the presence of cross-loadings. Content analysis of the factors demonstrated their psychological interpretability and consistency with the conceptual framework of the original instrument. Internal consistency coefficients were at an acceptable level and ranged from α = 0,611–0,809. Study limitations include characteristics of the sample structure and the dispositional format of the questionnaire, which may limit the generalizability of the results and their interpretation in the context of situational coping.

The scientific value of the study lies in expanding empirical evidence on the structure and applicability of the Brief COPE and in contributing to the development of culturally sensitive psychodiagnostic tools for coping strategies in Kazakhstan. The practical significance of the study consists in the possibility of using the adapted version of the questionnaire in scientific research, educational practice, and applied psychological work.

Keywords: coping, Brief COPE, cultural adaptation, exploratory factor analysis, Kazakhstan.