Background: Sense making is a meaning-making process that refers to the development of explanations for adversity. Despite a growing interest in this construct within the chronic illness literature, it has been neglected in research on carers.
Purpose: This study examines the dimensional structure of a multi-item measure of sense making in carers of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and investigates relations between sense making and both positive and negative adjustment outcomes.
Method: Participants were 232 carers and their care recipients. Questionnaires were completed at first assessment (time 1) and 12 months later (time 2).
Results: Factor analysis of the Carer Sense Making Scale (CSMS) revealed six psychometrically sound factors: catalyst for change, acceptance, spiritual perspective, incomprehensible, relationship ties, and causal attribution. Results of regression analyses indicated that the time 2 CSMS factors accounted for significant amounts of variance in each of the time 2 adjustment outcomes (life satisfaction, positive affect, anxiety, depression, care recipient adjustment ratings of carer) after controlling for time 1 adjustment and relevant demographic and illness variables.
Conclusion: Findings delineate the dimensional structure of sense making in caregiving and the differential links between sense-making dimensions and adjustment, and have implications for the measurement of sense making.