Validity of the Capacity to Work Index: Development of an Instrument to Measure Work Capacity in Relation to Depression and Anxiety in the General Working Population

Gunnel Hensing*, Cornelia van Diepen, Maria Boström, Monica Bertilsson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)
10 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Purpose To develop an index to assess capacity to work in relation to common mental disorders (CMDs) in the general
working population and field test its psychometric properties.
Methods Content analysis of three qualitative studies on people (n = 49) with their own experiences of working with CMD
guided the items selected for the index. Face and content validity and test-retest reliability were performed. The index was
field tested in two versions with 26 and 17 items, respectively, among health care professionals regarding internal reliability,
component structure and concurrent validity.
Results The final version of the Capacity to Work Index (C2WI; 17 items) was normally distributed in the field test with
high internal reliability (Cronbach’s alpha, 0.84). Missing responses were randomly distributed and nonspecific. Principal
component analysis showed one clear component with negatively framed items. Concurrent validity showed high correlation
with the WHO-5 Well-Being Scale (Pearson’s r, 0.68), but lower correlation for the general health question (r, − 0.44), one
item of the Work Ability Index (r, − 0.33), and the Stress of Conscience constructs (r, 0.44).
Conclusion The C2WI showed promising psychometric qualities. Low and negative correlation with the item from Work
Ability Index suggests that the C2WI measures additional dimensions, but further testing in larger and more diverse samples
is required.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)618-629
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Occupational Rehabilitation
Volume34
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Validity of the Capacity to Work Index: Development of an Instrument to Measure Work Capacity in Relation to Depression and Anxiety in the General Working Population'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this