Translation and psychometric evaluation of the Bengali version of the 10-item Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire (RTQ-10)

This study translated, culturally adapted, and psychometrically validated the Bengali version of the 10-item Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire (RTQ-10) in a large outpatient sample (N = 947). Following a rigorous cross-cultural adaptation process including forward–back translation, expert review, cognitive debriefing, face validation, and pilot testing, the finalized scale demonstrated a strong unidimensional structure, with Exploratory Factor Analysis explaining 75.6% of the variance and Confirmatory Factor Analysis showing excellent model fit (CFI = 0.982; RMSEA = 0.055). Confirmatory Tetrad Analysis supported a reflective measurement model, and Rasch modeling confirmed unidimensionality and stable item functioning. The instrument showed excellent internal consistency (α = 0.963; ω = 0.963; split-half = 0.970) and outstanding diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.984), with an optimal cut-off score >25.5 yielding high sensitivity (96.2%) and specificity (94.1%). Overall, the Bengali RTQ-10 is a reliable, valid, and diagnostically robust tool for assessing repetitive negative thinking in Bengali-speaking populations.