Validation of the Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-Efficacy in the German population

Background and Objectives: Informal caregivers of people living with dementia are susceptible to significant caregiver burden. Strengthening self-efficacy may alleviate burden by improving caregivers' ability to persist in the face of challenging situations. To provide a relevant assessment tool, this study aimed to translate the Revised Scale for Caregiving Self-Efficacy (RSCSE) into German and evaluate its psychometric properties. Research Design and Methods: Cross-sectional data with a test-retest subsample were collected online from June 2024 to March 2025. Reliability was assessed via internal consistency, item analysis, and test-retest reliability. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to evaluate structural validity. To assess construct and convergent validity, we included the following scales: Confidence in Dementia Care Scale, Benefits of Being a Caregiver Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, Perceived Social Support Questionnaire, Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results: < .001, CFI = 0.971, TLI = 0.965, RMSEA = 0.067 (90% CI: 0.044, 0.088), SRMR = 0.057], with good-to-excellent factor loadings (0.66-0.97). All included scales, except the DKAS, show significant correlations, supporting the validity of the RSCSE. Discussion and Implications: These results support the use of the RSCSE within the German population to assess the self-efficacy of caregivers of people living with dementia.