Development and Psychometrics Properties of the Persian Caregivers’ Empathy Scale for Psychotic Disorders Patients

Abstract

Background: Psychosis, characterized by a person’s detachment from reality, is one of the most controversial symptoms experienced by humans. Empathy is a complex and multifaceted concept that is considered a crucial component of effective relationships. Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a tool designed to measure caregivers’ empathy toward patients with psychotic disorders. Methods: This study employed a methodological research design, utilizing a cross-sectional approach. In the first phase, after the initial design of the scale using the Polit approach based on existing literature and tools, the second phase involved the validation process of the tool. Construct validity was assessed through factor analysis with the participation of 300 caregivers of patients. To examine the reliability of the tool, internal consistency and stability were assessed. Results: After forming the item pool with 120 items in the first stage, 60 items were eliminated based on experts’ opinions. During validation, the number of items was reduced to 21. After performing principal component analysis (PCA) and Promax rotation, five factors with an explained variance of 55.86% were extracted. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.804, confirming good internal consistency, and the intraclass correlation of 0.951 indicated that the tool has acceptable stability. Conclusions: The data from the present study indicate that the developed tool is accurate, valid, reliable, and culturally appropriate; thus, it can be used to measure the extent of empathy in caregivers of patients with psychotic disorders.