Confirmatory factor analysis of the brief version of the recovery assessment scale

The Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS) is a 41-item scale that assesses perceptions of recovery (article by Corrigan, Salzer, Ralph, Sangster, and Keck [Schizophr Bull 30:1035-1041, 2004]). This article presents a confirmatory factor structure of a brief 20-item version of the RAS and investigates its relation to measures of quality of life, symptoms severity, social support, loneliness, and functioning. The validation sample included 152 persons with serious mental illness living in the community. The results of the confirmatory factor analyses of the RAS yielded four factors: personal confidence and hope, willingness to ask for help, reliance on others, and no domination by symptoms. Subsequent regression analysis showed that these factors were related to some of the measures assessed in the study, providing support for the convergent and discriminate validity of the RAS. The study findings support the convergent and discriminate validity of the brief version of the scale.