Validating the Negative Context of Reception Scale for Mainland Puerto Ricans

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Disaster Mental Health

Background:

• Hurricane Maria caused significant trauma and displacement for Puerto Ricans.
• Understanding the "negative context of reception" is crucial for survivors' mental health.
• Existing scales need validation for specific survivor populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the validity and reliability of the Negative Context of Reception Scale (NCRS) for Puerto Rican Hurricane Maria survivors.
• To examine the NCRS's psychometric properties across diverse demographic groups.
• To establish the NCRS as a tool for mental health professionals working with this population.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were used to evaluate the scale's structure.
• Multigroup invariance tests assessed scale equivalence across gender, age, arrival year, and English proficiency.
• Correlations were calculated between the NCRS and measures of discrimination, language stress, mental health, and well-being.

Main Results:

• The one-factor solution for the NCRS demonstrated adequate fit to the data.
• The scale showed largely equivalent fit across demographic subgroups, indicating good invariance.
• Negative context of reception positively correlated with discrimination, language stress, depression, and anxiety; negatively with optimism and life satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• The Negative Context of Reception Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for Puerto Rican Hurricane Maria survivors.
• The scale can be used by counselors to assess clients' experiences and inform interventions.
• Potential item order adjustments may further enhance the scale's psychometric properties.