A tale of two constructs: combined assessment of demoralization and subjective incompetence
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Demoralization comprises multiple dimensions. Among them, Subjective Incompetence (SI) is the perception of being incapable of appropriate action in demanding circumstances. SI may be an early sign of demoralization preceding hopelessness, thus we aimed at integrating items related to Subjective Incompetence into the clinical assessment of demoralization. We assessed 414 subjects from the general population with the Demoralization Scale, 24 items (DS24) and the Subjective Incompetence Scale, 12 items (SIS12). We used multiple approaches to detect the optimal number of factors and their item structure, then conducted Bayesian Item Response Theory analyses to study item psychometric properties. Item Response Theory models were used to extrapolate latent severity ratings of clinical dimensions. We modelled the DS24 with five factors (Disheartenment, Sense of Failure, Helplessness, Irritability, Loss of Purpose) and the SIS12 with three (Subjective Incompetence, Inability to plan, Inability to Deal). The more complex IRT model had the best predictive value and helped to identify the items with better discrimination properties across the different dimensions. Twenty items were retained and used to develop the combined Demoralization and Subjective Incompetence Scale (DSIS20), which maintained high correlation with raw and latent trait scores of the longer versions. We combined selected items of the DS24 and the SIS12 to develop the DSIS20, a shorter assessment instrument that includes Subjective Incompetence as well as other clinical dimensions of demoralization. Further study may clarify if DSIS20 may be helpful for the early detection of demoralization.
Source: Psychology Health & Medicine
Authors: Martino Belvederi Murri, Federica Folesani, Danila Azzolina, Angela Muscettola, Irene Bobevski, Federico Triolo, Giovanni Farkas, Francesca Braccia, Marcello Gavesi, Tommaso Toffanin, Maria Ferrara, Luigi Zerbinati, Mohd Rashid Khan, Dario Gregori, John M. De Figueredo, David Kissane, Rosangela Caruso, Luigi Grassi, Maria Giulia Nanni
Language: English
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4402681887