Psychometric Properties of the Resilience Scale for Adolescents (READ) and Measurement Invariance Across Two Different German-Speaking Samples.

Clarissa Janousch,Frederick Anyan,Odin Hjemdal,Carmen Nadja Hirt

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.608677

Abstract

The Resilience Scale for Adolescents (READ) is a highly rated scale for measuring protective factors of resilience. Even though the READ has been validated in several different cultural samples, no studies have validated the READ across samples in German from Switzerland and Germany. The purpose of this study was to explore the construct validity of the German READ version in two samples from two different countries and to test the measurement invariance between those two samples. A German sample (n = 321, M = 12.74, SD = 0.77) and a German-speaking Swiss sample (n = 349, M = 12.67, SD = 0.69) of seventh graders completed the READ, Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWL). The expected negative correlations between READ and HSCL-25 and the positive correlations between RSE, self-efficacy, and SWL were supported. Furthermore, the results of the measurement invariance demonstrated that the originally proposed five-dimensional structure is equal in the German and Swiss samples, and it can be assumed that the same construct was assessed by excluding one item. The five-factor, 27-item solution is a valid and reliable self-report measure of protective factors between two German-speaking samples.

Highlights

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2019), half of all mental health conditions start by the age of 14, and 15% of all adolescents are affected by mental health disorders
The present study explores the validity and reliability of the Resilience Scale for Adolescents (READ) (Hjemdal et al, 2006), a measure of protective factors of resilience, in two independent German-speaking samples in Germany and Switzerland
The sum scores of the following scales and subscales were higher in Switzerland compared to the German sample: HSCL-25 Anxiety, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), READ total, Personal Competence, Social Competence, Social Competence, Structured Style, Family Cohesion, and Social Resources

Summary

Introduction

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2019), half of all mental health conditions start by the age of 14, and 15% of all adolescents (aged 10–19) are affected by mental health disorders. Until the late 1970s, the concept of pathogenesis, pioneered and developed by Williamson and Pearse (1980), was predominant in medicine and health-care systems (Antonovsky, 1996) This approach aims to determine the origin and cause of certain diseases and retrospectively try to avoid, manage, or terminate the disorder (Becker et al, 2010). It is crucial to determine, measure, foster, and strengthen protective factors and understand the risks associated with the physical, social, and economic aspects and vulnerability (Proag, 2014) These protective factors underlie positive psychological development (Masten, 2011) and help individuals resist in times of risk and adversity or balance the risk to which they are exposed (Rutter, 1985, 2012)

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