Development of a Recovery Scale for Families of Individuals with Gambling Problems

Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2026 Jul 22:1-15. doi: 10.1080/01612840.2026.2694514. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to develop and validate a recovery scale for families of individuals with gambling problems. An operational definition of family recovery was developed from conceptual and empirical studies. An item pool was generated based on this definition and refined following COSMIN guidelines. Study 1 assessed content and face validity with seven experts and seven members of self-help groups for families affected by gambling problems. Study 2 used a web-based survey with a 2-week retest to examine psychometric properties. Analyses included item analysis, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), criterion-related validity, and known-groups validity. Fifty-four items were generated and reduced to 39 in the draft scale; 25 items remained after Study 1. Study 2 included 385 participants (336 connected to family support services and 49 first-time participants). The final scale comprised 15 items across four factors: Link to social support and counseling for gambling problems, focus on self-care to find inner peace, maintain psychological distance from the gambler, and recognize your strengths and affirm yourself. EFA and CFA indicated good model fit (CFI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.065). Internal consistency was high (α = 0.921) and test-retest reliability acceptable (ICC = 0.632-0.790). The scale correlated moderately with self-esteem (r = 0.640) and mental health (r = 0.456), but not physical health (r = 0.103). Known-groups validity was supported (p < 0.001). The scale demonstrated adequate reliability and validity for assessing family recovery in gambling-affected families.

PMID:42485512 | DOI:10.1080/01612840.2026.2694514