Abstract
In contexts marked by demographic aging and growing intergenerational challenges, understanding the emotional dynamics of caregiving is essential to strengthening solidarity and resilience within families. The Caregiving Ambivalence Scale (CAS) is a 5-item Spanish instrument designed to assess ambivalent feelings in family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s Disease. This study aimed to adapt the CAS for use in Brazil, evaluating its semantic, conceptual, cultural, idiomatic, and psychometric equivalence. Two independent translations (Spanish–Portuguese) and back-translations (Portuguese–Spanish) were conducted. Conceptual, cultural, and idiomatic equivalence was evaluated by three experts, with Fleiss’ Kappa of 1.0. The Brazilian version was administered to 111 family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s, recruited online from all regions of Brazil. Participants answered the Brazilian version of CAS, a sociodemographic questionnaire, and DASS-21. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional structure with excellent fit indices (χ²/df = 1.13; CFI = .999; TLI = .998; RMSEA = .036) and strong composite reliability (CR = 0.88). Convergent validity was demonstrated through significant positive correlations with depression (rho = .554; p < .001), anxiety (rho = .404; p < .001), and stress (rho = .558; p < .001). The Brazilian CAS demonstrated semantic, conceptual, cultural, and idiomatic equivalence with the original version and robust psychometric properties. It is a valid and reliable tool for identifying ambivalence in family caregivers of older adults with Alzheimer’s and conducting cross-cultural studies. Its use can support early identification of emotional distress and guide culturally sensitive interventions that promote caregivers’ mental health, contributing to intergenerational well-being.
Presenters
Heloisa Goncalves FerreiraProfessor, Cognition and Human Development, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2025 Special Focus—Aging, Intergenerational Solidarity and the Polycrisis
KEYWORDS
FAMILY CAREGIVERS, MENTAL HEALTH, AMBIVALENCE, CULTURAL ADAPTATION, PSYCHOMETRIC VALIDATION
