Cancer specific interpersonal relationship scale (Cansirs): Construction and preliminary validation

Abstract

Cancer interrupts the life of the person diagnosed with the disease and their caregivers, it may also result in change in activities such as social and general stability of the life of both patients and caregivers. These changes have potential ramifications for relationship adjustment and the ways in which the patients and caregivers relate to and support one another. Therefore, our main objectives were to construct a self-report scale to measure the interpersonal relationship between patients with cancer and their caregivers and examine the different psychometric issues as well as to establish preliminary validation in the development of this scale. Two hundred and fifty dyads consisting of patient with breast cancer, head and neck cancer and their family caregivers were selected. Findings indicated that majority of the dimensions for both Form A and B of CANSIRS have high alpha coefficient. The results of factor analysis and preliminary validation were also discussed. The present study findings show that the scale developed with further factor analytic research, could become useful clinical tools.