Objective: Some individuals with systemic sclerosis (SSc) report positive mental health, despite severe disease manifestations, which may be associated with resilience, but no resilience measure has been validated in SSc. This study was undertaken to assess the validity, reliability, and differential item functioning (DIF) between English- and French-language versions of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) in SSc.
Methods: Eligible participants were enrolled in the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network Cohort and completed the CD-RISC-10 between August 2022 and January 2023. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the CD-RISC-10 factor structure and conducted DIF analysis across languages with Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes models. We tested convergent validity with another measure of resilience and measures of self-esteem and depression and anxiety symptoms. We assessed internal consistency and test-retest reliability using Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).
Results: A total of 962 participants were included in this analysis. CFA supported a single-factor structure (Tucker-Lewis index = 0.99, comparative fit index = 0.99, root mean square error of approximation = 0.08 [90% confidence interval (90% CI) 0.07, 0.09]). We found no meaningful DIF. Internal consistency was high (α = 0.93 [95% CI 0.92, 0.94]), and we found that correlations with other measures of psychological functioning were moderate to large (|r| = 0.57-0.78) and confirmed study hypotheses. The scale showed good 1-2-week test-retest reliability (ICC 0.80 [95% CI 0.75, 0.85]) in a subsample of 230 participants.
Conclusion: The CD-RISC-10 is a valid and reliable measure of resilience in SSc, with score comparability across English and French versions.
© 2023 The Authors. Arthritis Care & Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Rheumatology.