Adaptation and validation of the Brief COPE Inventory in Bangla: a psychometric study among Bangladeshi adults

Abstract

This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Brief COPE Inventory for Bangla speaking adults. Following Beaton’s guidelines for cross cultural adaptation, the process included forward translation, synthesis, back translation, expert committee review, and pretesting. Data from 80 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) were analyzed. Item level analyses showed mean scores ranging from 1.25 ± 0.55 to 3.42 ± 0.66, with all corrected item–total correlations > 0.30, indicating adequate item discrimination. Exploratory factor analysis (principal component extraction with varimax rotation) yielded an eight factor structure that accounted for 87% of total variance; the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin index was 0.563 and Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant (p < 0.001). Cronbach’s alpha for the 28 item scale was 0.614, and subscale alphas ranged from 0.45 (Humor) to 0.91 (Substance Use), with Planning (α = 0.75), Active Coping (α = 0.72), and Self Blame (α = 0.79) showing moderate to good internal consistency. Intercorrelations among subscales (r = 0.22–0.61) supported a coherent pattern of adaptive (e.g., Active Coping, Planning, Positive Reframing, Acceptance) versus maladaptive (e.g., Denial, Self Blame, Substance Use) coping dimensions. The Bangla Brief COPE demonstrated good construct validity and acceptable reliability for a multidimensional measure, supporting its use in both clinical and research contexts among Bangla speaking adults, particularly in MDD populations. Bang J Psychiatry 2026;40(1): 19-23