The psychometric analysis of a brief and sensitive measure of perceived manageability

This study was conducted to determine the psychometric properties of the newly developed Perceived Manageability Scale (PMnac). The study was retrospective in design. Two hundred sixty-one inpatients with a spinal cord injury were recruited from The National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC), Stoke Mandeville Hospital, UK, as part of a convenience sample. The PMnac was developed to measure an individual's perceived manageability of their situation. The Mood Questionnaire is used to assess an individual's current mood. Both scales are part of the Needs Assessment Checklist; a psychometrically valid and reliable outcome tool and vital part of the rehabilitation pathway at the NSIC. Results indicated that out of the six items in the scale, five were found to load onto one factor. The remaining item (item number five) did not load onto this factor structure and was consequently removed from subsequent analyses. With the removal of this item, the PMnac was found to yield high internal validity correlations, internal consistency coefficients and significant sensitivity to change. The PMnac is a psychometrically reliable and valid clinical measure of an individual's perceived manageability of their situation.