Initial psychometric evaluation of a psychological resilience measure for physicians

Abstract

Measures of Psychological Resilience (PR) for use with physician populations are lacking. The objective of this study is to develop and assess the validity and internal consistency of a survey designed to measure the perceived Psychological Resilience (PR) of physicians. A 37-item PR survey was developed and distributed to doctors from an Irish teaching hospital. Construct validity was established through a confirmatory factor analysis and internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha. Discriminant and convergent validity were assessed through correlating responses to the PR measure with the three subscales of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). A total of 292 responses to the survey were suitable for inclusion in the analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis resulted in an 18-item survey with three subscales: job gratification (alpha = 0.79), protective practices (alpha = 0.83), and protective attitudes (alpha = 0.81). There were significant negative correlations between the three subscales of the PR survey and the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization subscales of the MBI-HSS. There were significant positive correlation between each of the three subscales of the PR survey and the MBI-HSS personal accomplishment subscale. This study is the first stage in the development of an appropriate, valid and reliable survey for measuring the PR of physicians.