Brief repetitive thinking questionnaire (RTQ-10): In a sample of Afghan students

Background The Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire (RTQ-10) is a widely used and standardized questionnaire designed to assess repetitive thoughts in clinical and non-clinical populations. The RTQ-10 demonstrates good validity and reliability. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of a Dari/Farsi-translated version of the RTQ-10. Method A convenience sample of 226 undergraduate Dari/Farsi-speaking students at Herat University, Afghanistan, completed an online survey that included the RTQ-10 and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). To calculate test–retest reliability, a sub-sample of 50 individuals completed the RTQ again within two weeks. Results The results from a confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the single-factor structure of the RTQ-10 demonstrated acceptable fit to the data ( χ 2 /df = 1.46, CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.04). Furthermore, RTQ-10 showed a moderate positive association with depression, anxiety, and stress ( r (226) = .37 - 0.43, p < 0.05), a strong test–retest reliability, ( r (50) = 0.76, p < 0.05), and excellent internal consistency ( α = 0.86). Conclusion The results support the single-factor structure of the RTQ-10 and, together with strong psychometric properties, suggest that the Dari/Farsi version is reliable for assessing repetitive thoughts.