Development and psychometric evaluation of a measure to assess distress in partners of Australian combat veterans.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to develop and evaluate a multidimensional measure of distress experienced by partners of Australian combat veterans.


METHODS
The Partners of Veterans Distress Scale (POV-DS) was developed using factor analysis on a sample of 665 female members of Partners of Veterans Association of Australia. Content validity for the scale was established by using focus groups and expert feedback during item development phase. In addition, two self-report inventories were administered to assess physical/mental health, and satisfaction with life.


RESULTS
Following principal-axis factoring, 45 items were retained, loading on seven distinct but correlated factors: Sleep problems, Hyper-vigilance, Social isolation, Financial problems, Intimacy problems, Exhaustion, and Negative affect. The factor structure was cross-validated using confirmatory factor analysis on a hold-out sample. The distress subscales all exhibited excellent internal consistency (alphas ranged from 0.84 to 0.95). Validation analyses revealed subscales derived from the seven-factor model explained 31% to 45% of the variance in partners' physical health, mental health, and satisfaction with life.


CONCLUSIONS
The study found that the POV-DS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing distress in partners of Australian combat veterans.
MacDonell
Gail V
GV
Discipline of Psychology, University of New England, Armidale 2351, NSW, Australia.
Marsh
Nigel V
NV
Hine
Donald W
DW
Bhullar
Navjot
N
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012934:Social Isolation; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014728:Veterans