Psychometric Properties of the Italian Adaptation of the Subjective Cognitive Reserve Questionnaire Based on...

As accelerating population aging increases the burden of neurological disorders, assessing cognitive reserve has become crucial for identifying resilience to decline. However, its evaluation is often hindered by instruments lacking the cultural sensitivity and psychometric rigor necessary for different populations.

This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the Italian version of the Subjective Cognitive Reserve Questionnaire (SCR-Q) in a general adult population.

A total of 225 adults (mean age = 51.84 years, SD = 14.08; 69.8% women) completed an online assessment including the SCR-Q and resilience, life satisfaction, and anxiety measures in an incidental sample selection. The sample was randomly divided for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Internal consistency, factorial validity, and convergent/divergent validity were evaluated.

EFA and CFA supported a two-factor structure reflecting a physical health dimension and a cognitive-social dimension, with the two-factor model showing acceptable fit and outperforming a unidimensional solution. Internal consistency was adequate for the total scale (α = 0.795; ω = 0.850) and for both subfactors. SCR-Q scores were positively associated with resilience and life satisfaction and negatively associated with anxiety, with stronger associations observed for the cognitive-social factor.

The Italian SCR-Q demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties and supports a multidimensional conceptualization of subjective cognitive reserve integrating physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains. The instrument represents a brief and ecologically valid tool for population-level screening and prevention research.