Background and purpose: Caregivers' well-being has been found to be associated with marital adjustment. This study's purpose was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Locke-Wallace Short Marital-Adjustment Test (LWSMAT) in a sample of caregivers of persons with primary malignant brain tumor (PMBT).
Methods: Secondary analysis of data collected from 114 caregivers. The LWSMAT was tested for factor structure, internal consistency reliability, and construct validity.
Results: 5 extracted factors explained 60.55% of the total variance. Four interpretable factors (Contentment & Communication, Leisure & Sociality, Intimacy, and Shared Philosophy) had Cronbach's alpha between 0.63 and 0.74. Convergent validity (r = -.35 and r = -.43, respectively, both p < .0001) and discriminant validity (r = .07, p = .49; and r = -.04, p = .67) were confirmed by comparing four factors with subdimensions of the Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA).
Conclusion: The LWSMAT is a multidimensional, reliable, and valid measure of marital adjustment in caregivers of persons with a PMBT.