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The following is a summary of “Validation of a French version of the empowerment scale for mental health service users,” published in the March 2025 issue of BMC Psychiatry by Desvignes et al.  

Empowerment is widely used in mental health care, requiring standardized assessment. The Empowerment Scale is commonly applied but has varied psychometric properties. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to translate the Empowerment Scale into French and evaluate its consistency, validity, and responsiveness.   

They studied 394 participants as part of a larger research project. The Empowerment Scale was translated into French using cross-cultural adaptation guidelines with experts and a professional translator. Psychometric properties were assessed using classical test theory. Factor structure was analyzed through principal component, exploratory, and confirmatory factor analyses. Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach’s alpha, and validity was evaluated through convergent, discriminant, and concurrent analyses. Responsiveness was assessed by comparing empowerment scores to recovery rate changes. 

The results showed a 4-factor, 18-item model with good fit indices (comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.97, Tucker‒Lewis index (TLI) = 0.97, adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI) = 0.97, standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.07, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.07). Internal consistency was acceptable for the overall scale (α = 0.84) and “self-esteem-self-efficacy” (α = 0.88) but lower for other dimensions. The scale showed moderate correlations with recovery (r = 0.47) and quality of life (r = 0.28). Responsiveness was low or insignificant, except for “self-esteem-self-efficacy,” which showed moderate responsiveness. 

They found that the French version had a good factor structure with 4 factors and 18 items. The “self-esteem” dimension showed good validity, reliability, and moderate responsiveness, while other dimensions needed further validation.  

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-025-06554-4