Development and Preliminary Psychometric Evaluation of the Self-Perceptions in Rehabilitation Questionnaire (SPIRQ) for Brain Injury Rehabilitation

OBJECTIVE. The Self-Perceptions in Rehabilitation Questionnaire (SPIRQ) is a brief measure developed to monitor client self-perceptions, motivation, and emotional reactions throughout rehabilitation. We describe the SPIRQ's development and preliminary psychometric evaluation. METHOD. One hundred five adults with traumatic brain injury attending two brain injury rehabilitation units completed the SPIRQ during occupational therapy sessions. A subset (n = 33) completed the SPIRQ twice over a 5- to 7-day interval to examine test retest reliability. RESULTS. Exploratory factor analysis yielded three factors: Changes in Self and Life Plans, Self in Rehabilitation, and Emotional Reactions. Their internal consistency was sound (as =.72-33). Test retest reliability was generally acceptable (rs = .67-.81), and scores did not significantly change between testing occasions (p > .05). CONCLUSION. We found preliminary support for the SPIRO scales' reliability and construct validity. Future empirical evaluation and potential clinical applications of the SPIRQ in occupational therapy are discussed.