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. 2026 Feb;15(1):79-91.
doi: 10.1007/s40120-025-00847-2. Epub 2025 Nov 8.

Psychometric Properties of the 7-Item Sense of Competence Questionnaire: Assessing Informal Caregivers' Self-Perceived Competence in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Sagrario Manzano  1 , Jorge Maurino  2 , Mircea Balasa  3 , Gerard Piñol-Ripoll  4 , Mercè Boada  5   6 , Lamberto Landete  7 , Inmaculada Abellán  8 , Ángel Berbel  9 , Beatriz Espejo  10 , Mariló Almagro  11 , Jesús Rodrigo  11 , Pascual Sánchez-Juan  12 , Elena García-Arcelay  13 , Javier Ballesteros  14
Affiliations

Psychometric Properties of the 7-Item Sense of Competence Questionnaire: Assessing Informal Caregivers' Self-Perceived Competence in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Sagrario Manzano et al. Neurol Ther. 2026 Feb.

Abstract

Introduction: Caregivers provide essential support to patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, limited research has been conducted to validate instruments that assess their self-perceived competence in caregiving. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the 7-item Sense of Competence Questionnaire (S-SCQ) in informal caregivers of patients with MCI.

Methods: A non-interventional, cross-sectional study was conducted in collaboration with the Spanish Confederation of Alzheimer's Disease, enrolling informal caregivers of patients with MCI. A non-parametric item response theory procedure (Mokken analysis) was performed to evaluate the S-SCQ's dimensional structure using scalability coefficients. Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach's α. Concurrent validity was examined through Spearman's correlations between S-SCQ scores and measures of caregiver burden, psychological distress, resilience, and the caregiver-patient relationship.

Results: A total of 196 caregivers were studied. Caregivers had a mean age of 63.5 (SD 13.1) years, and most (63%) were female. The care recipients had a mean age of 72.9 (7.0) years, with a mean disease duration of 2.9 (2.2) years. The mean S-SCQ score was 26.1 (6.1). The S-SCQ demonstrated strong unidimensionality (H = 0.52) and good internal reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.86). Higher S-SCQ scores (greater sense of competence) correlated with lower caregiver burden (ρ = - 0.63, p < 0.001), reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms (ρ = - 0.32, p < 0.001), stronger caregiver-patient relationship (ρ = 0.72, p < 0.001), and greater resilience (ρ = 0.34, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The S-SCQ is a reliable tool for assessing self-perceived competence in informal caregivers of patients with MCI. Its integration into clinical and research settings may offer an opportunity to enhance the early detection of caregiver burden and facilitate timely, targeted interventions.

Keywords: Burden; Caregivers; Mild cognitive impairment; Psychometric properties; Resilience; Sense of competence.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of Interest: Sagrario Manzano and Pascual Sánchez-Juan received economic compensation from Roche, Almirall, Bayer, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi-Genzyme, Merck, Novartis, UCB, and Teva. Mercè Boada reports receiving consulting fees from Grifols, Araclon Biotech, Roche, Biogen, Lilly, Merck, Zambon, and Novo Nordisk; holding advisory board memberships with Grifols, Roche, Lilly, Araclon Biotech, Merck, Zambon, Biogen, Novo Nordisk, Bioiberica, Eisai, Servier, and Schwabe Pharma; and receiving lecture fees from Roche, Biogen, Grifols, Nutricia, Araclon Biotech, Servier, and Novo Nordisk. Elena García-Arcelay and Jorge Maurino are employees of Roche Farma Spain. Mircea Balasa, Gerard Piñol-Ripoll, Lamberto Landete, Inmaculada Abellán, Angel Berbel, Beatriz Espejo, Mariló Almagro, Jesús Rodrigo, and Javier Ballesteros declared no conflicts of interest. Ethical Approval and Informed Consent: The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Hospital Universitario del Mar in Barcelona, Spain. All participants provided written informed consent.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Caregivers’ percent agreement with S-SCQ item statements. S-SCQ Short Sense of Competence Questionnaire
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
S-SCQ items sorted by their scalability/discrimination index. The scalability index (Hi ​) measures the ability to discriminate between caregivers with different levels of the latent trait (sense of competence). Higher index values indicate greater discriminatory power. S-SCQ Short Sense of Competence Questionnaire
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
a–f Linear associations among S-SCQ and validation scales with smoothed lines. HADS Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, MMSE Mini-Mental State Examination, QCPR Quality of the Caregiver–Patient Relationship Scale, RS14 Resilience Scale, SD standard deviation, S-SCQ Short Sense of Competence Questionnaire, ZBI-22 Zarit Burden Index
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
S-SCQ mean scores across emotional exhaustion categories. S-SCQ Short Sense of Competence Questionnaire
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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