Psychometric Properties of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) in Parents of Children with Mental Illness

Abstract

Given the stressful experiences of parenting children with mental illness, researchers and health professionals must ensure that the health-related quality of life of these vulnerable parents is measured with sufficient validity and reliability. This study examined the psychometric properties of the SF-36 in parents of children with mental illness. The data come from 99 parents whose children were currently receiving mental health services. The correlated two-factor structure of the SF-36 was replicated. Internal consistencies were robust (α > 0.80) for all but three subscales (General Health, Vitality, Mental Health). Inter-subscale and component correlations were strong. Correlations with parental psychopathology ranged from r = −0.32 to −0.60 for the physical component and r = −0.39 to −0.75 for the mental component. Parents with clinically relevant psychopathology had significantly worse SF-36 scores. SF-36 scores were inversely associated with the number of child diagnoses. The SF-36 showed evidence of validity and reliability as a measure of health-related quality of life in parents of children with mental illness and may be used as a potential outcome in the evaluation of family-centered approaches to care within child psychiatry. Given the relatively small sample size of this study, research should continue to examine its psychometric properties in more diverse samples of caregivers.