Development, validity and reliability of the occupational adaptation scale for individuals with schizophrenia diognosis

The aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable scale to examine the level of occupational adaptation of individuals with schizophrenia. To determine the features to be measured and the conceptual structure, scales and occupational adaptation theory and models in the literature were examined. To determine the content validity, the content validity form adapted to the Davis technique was applied to 10 experts twice. After the pilot study was carried out with the draft form created after the content validity, the revised form was applied to the individuals aged 18+ with schizophrenia (n=320). Two weeks later, 80 individuals with schizophrenia were tested again. Explanatory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis techniques were used to examine the construct validity of the scale. The content validity index of the scale was found to be 0.895. As a result of the factor analysis, it was seen that the scale consisting of 18 items showed a 3-factor structure explaining 69.925% of the total variance. In confirmatory factor analysis, the model fit indices of the structure created by factor combination technique were RMSEA=0.045, GFI=0.954, AGFI=0.885; NNFI=0.935; CFI= 0.946; NFI= 0.964; IFI= 0.973, and CMIN/DF= 2.405. It was determined that the measurement model was suitable. In the reliability analyses of the scale, ICC=0.995 and Cronbach's alpha=0.998 were found for the scale. Very strong correlation coefficients were found between the pretest and posttest, and the correlation between the two measurements was significant (r=0.992; p˂0.001). As a result, the validity of an 18-item scale structure consisting of 3 dimensions: person (sensory-motor, psychosocial and cognitive system), occupation (occupational difficulty and response) and occupational environment (physical, social and cultural environment) was validated. It can be said the scale meets the necessary criteria to examine the level of occupational adaptation in individuals age 18+ with schizophrenia, and its psychometric properties are quite sufficient. Key Words: Schizophrenia, Occupational adaptation, Occupation, Scale