Validation and cultural adaptation of the Attitude Toward Hypnosis Questionnaire (ATHQ) for a Malaysian cohort with Major Depressive Disorder

The primary goal was to culturally adapt the ATHQ to fit Malaysia’s unique cultural and linguistic landscape. The validation process involved a sample of 200 participants with clinical diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). This study employed exploratory factor analysis to evaluate the validity of the Attitude Toward Hypnosis Questionnaire-Malay (ATHQ-Malay). Results confirmed that the ATHQ-Malay maintains its original three-factor structure, i.e. Positive Beliefs, Mental Stability, and Fearlessness, establishing it as a reliable and valid tool for assessing attitudes toward hypnosis among this clinical cohort. While the findings affirm the questionnaire’s effectiveness in the studied clinical population, their applicability to broader or non-clinical groups remains limited. This underscores the significance of cultural adaptations in psychological assessments and the necessity for extended research to verify its utility across various demographic groups.