Development of the Scale on Psychological Adjustment of Cancer Survivors:

Study of its Reliability and Validity

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to develop the Scale on Psychological Adjustment of Cancer Survivors (PACS) and analyse its reliability and validity. We prepared a temporary scale consisting of 74 items based on a concept analysis with expert examination of the content validity, as well as a pilot study. The subjects of the analysis were 238 cancer survivors. Factor analysis extracted the following four factors, comprised of 18 total items: "accepting myself as a patient living with cancer"; "feeling personal psychological growth"; "regaining myself"; and "experiencing a lack of well-being". The reliability of the scale was confirmed by a Cronbach's α internal consistency reliability coefficient of .87 for the 18 items. Test-retest reliability and criterion-related validity were almost satisfactory for all areas. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted by analyzing covariance structures, and the hypothesised statistical model was found to fit the actual data. In conclusion, the reliability and validity of the PACS were confirmed, and this scale may be suitable for use with cancer survivors, though further refining of the scale is necessary.