Validating the Psychosocial Functioning during COVID-19 Questionnaire among a Sample of Informal Caregivers

• Published in: Gerontology and geriatric medicine 2021, Vol.7, p.2333721421997200-2333721421997200
• Main Authors: Arnold, Trisha, Kunicki, Zachary J., Rogers, Brooke G., Haubrick, Kayla K., Klasko-Foster, Lynne, Norris, Alyssa L., Drohan, Megan M., Greaney, Mary L., Cohen, Steven A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Caregivers; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Pandemics; Questionnaires; The COVID-19 Pandemic Effects on Older Adults, Families, Caregivers, Health Care Providers and Communities
• ISSN: 2333-7214; 2333-7214
• DOI: 10.1177/2333721421997200

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on global economies and societies. Although social distancing policies are needed to contain the spread and impact of COVID-19, they also impose a psychological and economic burden on people who are already experiencing increased distress such as caregivers. Yet, few measures have been developed and validated to measure the psychosocial impact of COVID-19. Utilizing item response theory (IRT), the purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically validate a measure of psychosocial functioning—the Psychosocial Functioning during COVID-19 (PFC-19) Questionnaire—to assess changes in social interaction, mental health, health behavior, and global functioning among a sample of informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analytic sample (n = 733) was recruited from Amazon Mechanic Turk (MTurk) (69% male, 55% white). Results suggest a two-factor measure, assessing global functioning (14 items) and affective response (8 items), with strong evidence for reliability, validity, and dimensionality. Future research should replicate this factor structure in other samples.