Temas em Psicologia
Print version ISSN 1413-389X
Abstract
QUELUZ, Francine Náthalie Ferraresi Rodrigues; BARHAM, Elizabeth Joan; DEL PRETTE, Zilda Aparecida Pereira and SANTOS, Acácia Aparecida Angeli dos. Social skills inventory for caregivers of elderly family members (SSI-CE): relations with indicators of psycholgical wellbeing. Temas psicol. [online]. 2018, vol.26, n.2, pp.537-549. ISSN 1413-389X. https://doi.org/10.9788/TP2018.2-01Pt.
The experience of caring for a dependent elderly person often involves feelings of stress and burden. In this context, a well-developed repertoire of social skills can improve interpersonal relationships, resulting in better psychological wellbeing. The Social Skills Inventory for Caregivers of the Elderly Family Members (SSI-CE) was developed to evaluate interventions that aim to improve caregivers' social skills. Evidence of the internal validity of the SSI-CE is positive. The objective of this study was to analyze evidence of construct validity by verifying the convergent validity of the SSI-CE, based on relations with other constructs, namely: quality of life, quality of the dyadic relationship, perceptions of burden and depressive symptoms. A total of 205 family caregivers of the elderly, with a mean age of 51 years (SD = 14), with different socioeconomic and educational levels, completed the SSI-CE, the Dyadic Relationship Scale (with two subscales: Positive Interaction and Conflicts), the Beck Depression Inventory and Novelli's Quality of Life Scale. The SSI-CE was positively correlated with quality of life and with the Positive Interactions subscale and negatively correlated with burden, depressive symptoms, conflicts. The results support the construct validity of the SSI-CE, but other evidence of validity is still needed.
Keywords : Caregivers; elderly; social skills; psychological assessment; quality of life.