Evaluating the Validity and Reliability of the Thai Translated Psychological Vulnerability Scale for Graduate Students

Thanayot Sumalrot; Karuna Sathu; Supachoke  Singhakant

doi:10.33165/rmj.2026.e273961

Authors

Thanayot Sumalrot Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7506-4429
Karuna Sathu Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Supachoke Singhakant Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33165/rmj.2026.e273961

Keywords:

Psychological vulnerability, Psychometric property, Graduate students

Abstract

Background: Psychological vulnerability plays a pivotal role in mental health issues, marked by distorted thinking patterns leading to maladaptive coping behaviors.

Objective: To adapt the concise and user-friendly Psychological Vulnerability Scale (PVS) into Thai while assessing its psychometric properties.

Methods: This study employed purposive sampling, selecting 384 Thai graduate students from various academic disciplines, ensuring the inclusion of specific subgroups relevant to the study's focus on mental health and psychological vulnerability. Data were collected using an online survey that included the Thai version of the PVS, the Thai Mental Health Questionnaire (TMHQ), and demographic information. A pilot test was conducted with 30 students prior to the main survey to assess the clarity and reliability of the instruments.

Results: These findings indicated the translated Thai PVS's robust content validity and revealed 2 factors explaining 56.7% variance through exploratory factor analysis. Pearson correlation coefficients showed a significant moderate relationship between Thai PVS, TMHQ, and vulnerability perception. Furthermore, the Thai PVS showed a strong correlation with the original version and had acceptable internal consistency reliability, with Cronbach $\alpha$ at 0.668 and McDonald ω at 0.672.

Conclusions: These results affirm the Thai PVS's robust psychometric properties, making it a valuable tool for screening mental health issues among graduate students, addressing a critical need in this population.

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