[The Need for Recovery Scale: French adaptation and validation.]

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The Need for Recovery after work (Need for Recovery) scale measures post-work recovery.
• Understanding recovery needs is crucial for employee well-being and preventing burnout.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the Need for Recovery scale in a French occupational context.
• To examine average recovery scores across different demographic and occupational groups.

Main Methods:

• A representative sample of French employees completed the Need for Recovery Scale and other validated questionnaires.
• Psychometric analyses, including internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha) and validity, were performed.
• Item analysis led to the exclusion of one item from the original scale.

Main Results:

• The French version of the Need for Recovery Scale demonstrated strong psychometric qualities with a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.86.
• A significant correlation was found between Need for Recovery and emotional exhaustion (r = 0.68).
• Specific employee groups identified with high recovery needs included young men (<25 years), older women (>55 years), and teachers.

Conclusions:

• The validated French Need for Recovery Scale is a reliable tool for assessing employee recovery needs.
• The findings highlight specific demographic and occupational groups at higher risk, informing targeted interventions.
• The scale's predictive value for employee health supports its use in developing workplace preventive strategies.