UKRAINIAN ADAPTATION OF THE HISTORICAL INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA TRANSMISSION QUESTIONAIR (HITT-Q): PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES AND VALIDITY
Keywords:
transgenerational trauma, historical trauma, HITT-Q, psychometrics, validity, reliability, questionnaire adaptation, Ukraine, war
Abstract
The psychometric properties of the Ukrainian version of the Historical Intergenerational Trauma Transmission Questionnaire (HITT-Q) by Békés &
Starrs (2024) were analyzed. The validity and reliability of the instrument were investigated using two samples (n=299 and n=142) with standard adaptation procedures. Two independent translations, back-translation, and expert validation (n=5) were conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Helsinki Declaration. Sufficient internal consistency of most scales (α > 0.70) was demonstrated: Dysregulated Communication (α = 0.857), Trauma-influenced Parenting (α = 0.858), Trauma-related Distress (α = 0.903), Belonging (α = 0.818). Test-retest reliability ranging from 0.476 to 0.807 was revealed. A valid instrument for diagnosing transgenerational traumatic processes in the Ukrainian population was created, which is critically important in the context of prolonged war for understanding the psychological consequences of historical traumas.
References
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8. Leshem, B., Zasiekina, L., Guterman, N. B., Hordovska, T., & Pat-Horenczyk, R. (2025). Shared traumatic reality during the continuous war in Ukraine and the protective role of transgenerational transfer: Voices of mental health professionals. Journal of Community Psychology, 53(1), e23161. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.23161
9. Taber, K. S. (2017). The use of Cronbach's alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48(6), 1273-1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2
10. Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach's alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53-55. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfd
11. Westin, E. (2024). Trauma and healing through postgenerational Holodomor survivor research. Life Writing, 21(4), 536-548. https://doi.org/10.1080/14484528.2024.2409096
12. Williams-Washington, K. N., & Mills, C. P. (2018). African American historical trauma. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 28(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmcd.12113
13. Whitbeck, L. B., Adams, G. W., Hoyt, D. R., & Chen, X. (2004). Conceptualizing and measuring historical trauma among American Indian people. American Journal of Community Psychology, 33(3-4), 119-130. https://doi.org/10.1023/b:ajcp.0000027000.77357.31
14. Zasiekina, L., Duchyminska, T., Bifulco, A., & Bignardi, G. (2024). War trauma impacts in Ukrainian combat and civilian populations: Moral injury and associated mental health symptoms. Military Psychology, 36(5), 555-566. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2023.2235256
15. Zasiekina, L., Zasiekin, S., & Kuperman, V. (2023). Post-traumatic stress disorder and moral injury among Ukrainian civilians during the ongoing war. Journal of Community Health, 48(6), 976-984. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-023-01225-5
2. Bezo, B., & Maggi, S. (2015). Living in «survival mode»: Intergenerational transmission of trauma from the Holodomor genocide of 1932-1933 in Ukraine. Social Science & Medicine, 134, 87-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.04.009.
3. Braga, L. L., Mello, M. F., & Fiks, J. P. (2012). Transgenerational transmission of trauma and resilience: A qualitative study with Brazilian offspring of Holocaust survivors. BMC Psychiatry, 12(1), 134. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-12-134
4. Cohen, R. J., & Swerdlik, M. E. (2010). Psychological testing and assessment. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
5. Danieli, Y., Norris, F. H., Lindert, J., Paisner, V., Engdahl, B., et al. (2015). The Danieli Inventory of Multigenerational Legacies of Trauma, Part I. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 61, 167-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.06.011
6. Kostova, Z., & Matanova, V. L. (2024). Transgenerational trauma and attachment. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1362561. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1362561
7. Kurapov, A., Kalaitzaki, A., Keller, V., Danyliuk, I., & Kowatsch, T. (2023). The mental health impact of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war 6 months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1134780. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1134780
8. Leshem, B., Zasiekina, L., Guterman, N. B., Hordovska, T., & Pat-Horenczyk, R. (2025). Shared traumatic reality during the continuous war in Ukraine and the protective role of transgenerational transfer: Voices of mental health professionals. Journal of Community Psychology, 53(1), e23161. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.23161
9. Taber, K. S. (2017). The use of Cronbach's alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48(6), 1273-1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2
10. Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach's alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53-55. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfd
11. Westin, E. (2024). Trauma and healing through postgenerational Holodomor survivor research. Life Writing, 21(4), 536-548. https://doi.org/10.1080/14484528.2024.2409096
12. Williams-Washington, K. N., & Mills, C. P. (2018). African American historical trauma. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 28(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmcd.12113
13. Whitbeck, L. B., Adams, G. W., Hoyt, D. R., & Chen, X. (2004). Conceptualizing and measuring historical trauma among American Indian people. American Journal of Community Psychology, 33(3-4), 119-130. https://doi.org/10.1023/b:ajcp.0000027000.77357.31
14. Zasiekina, L., Duchyminska, T., Bifulco, A., & Bignardi, G. (2024). War trauma impacts in Ukrainian combat and civilian populations: Moral injury and associated mental health symptoms. Military Psychology, 36(5), 555-566. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2023.2235256
15. Zasiekina, L., Zasiekin, S., & Kuperman, V. (2023). Post-traumatic stress disorder and moral injury among Ukrainian civilians during the ongoing war. Journal of Community Health, 48(6), 976-984. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-023-01225-5
Published
2025-11-30
How to Cite
Stanislavska , T., & Miliutina, K. (2025). UKRAINIAN ADAPTATION OF THE HISTORICAL INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA TRANSMISSION QUESTIONAIR (HITT-Q): PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES AND VALIDITY. Kyiv Journal of Modern Psychology and Psychotherapy, 10, 134-144. https://doi.org/10.48020/mppj.2025.02.11
Section
Articles
