Validity of the Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales with family carers of older adults: confirmatory factor analyses.

OBJECTIVES

To confirm the factor validity of the Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales (CEAS), as set out in the original development study, when used with a sample of family carers of older adults.

DESIGN

A series of confirmatory factor analyses were undertaken to test the previously proposed factor solutions of each scale.

SETTING

As part of a larger cross-sectional survey, the scales were completed online or via hard copy between July and December 2019.

PARTICIPANTS

An international sample of 171 family carers of adults aged 65 years or older.

MEASUREMENTS

The CEAS are three measures that individually assess Compassion for Self, Compassion to Others, and Compassion from Others. All scales measure two aspects, "engagement" and "actions" (two-factor solution), and Compassion for Self also measures two further dimensions within engagement: "sensitivity to suffering" and "engagement with suffering" (three-factor solution).

RESULTS

Results were largely consistent with the two-factor solutions proposed for the three orientations of compassion, with acceptable fit and good internal reliability. There was some support for the three-factor solution of Compassion for Self; however, despite model fit comparable to the two-factor solution, internal reliability of the delineated "engagement" dimensions was low, and there was a weak factor loading for item 5 that measured distress tolerance.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of the CEAS with family carers of older adults is promising. Further research is recommended with larger samples and to explore distress tolerance as a competency within conceptualization and measurement of compassion.