Factor analysis of the Resilience Scale for Brazilian caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract Introduction Resilience is a dynamic process that acts to modify the effects of an adverse life event. In this study, we aimed to test the construct validity of the Resilience Scale by employing exploratory and confirmatory procedures, and to investigate the relationship between caregiver’s resilience and clinical status of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Methods A sample of 143 dyads of people with Alzheimer’s disease and their primary caregivers were included. Results The total Resilience Scale mean score was 140.3 (standard deviation [SD] = 16.289), ranging from 25 to 175, indicating a high level of resilience. Cronbach’s alpha was high (α = 0.77), indicating excellent internal consistency. The mean of corrected item-total correlation coefficients was moderate. The Resilience Scale presented a four-factor solution with a well-defined structure: sense of life and self-sufficiency, perseverance, self-confidence and equanimity, and meaningfulness. Conclusion The findings indicate excellent internal consistency of the Resilience Scale when used to evaluate psychological and emotional difficulties of caregivers, even though the correlations observed between the Resilience Scale and clinical variables were not significant for functionality, mood, awareness, neuropsychiatric symptoms, or burden.

摘要 引言
心理弹性是一种动态过程，可调节不良生活事件所产生的影响。本研究旨在通过探索性与验证性分析程序，检验心理弹性量表（Resilience Scale）的结构效度，并探讨阿尔茨海默病（Alzheimer’s disease）患者主要照料者的心理弹性与其临床状态之间的关联。
方法 本研究纳入了143例阿尔茨海默病患者及其主要照料者的配对样本。
结果 心理弹性量表的总均分为140.3（标准差[SD] = 16.289），得分区间为25至175，提示照料者的心理弹性水平较高。克朗巴哈α系数为0.77，表明量表具备优异的内部一致性。校正后的条目-总分相关系数均值处于中等水平。心理弹性量表呈现出结构明确的四因子结构，具体因子包括：生活感悟与自我满足、坚毅品质、自信与平和心态，以及生命意义感。
结论 本研究结果显示，当使用心理弹性量表评估照料者的心理与情绪困扰时，其内部一致性表现优异；尽管该量表得分与功能状态、情绪、疾病觉知、神经精神症状及照料负担等临床变量之间未呈现显著相关性。