Validation and psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Physician Self-Efficacy to Manage Emotional Challenges (P-PSMEC) scale among medical students: a methodological cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Translate and culturally adapt the Physician Self-Efficacy to Manage Emotional Challenges (PSMEC) scale into Persian, then assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the PSMEC (P-PSMEC) among medical students. Methodological cross-sectional study. Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran. A convenience sample of 237 medical students participated in the study between July and December 2024. The main focus was on evaluating the psychometric performance of the 17-item P-PSMEC scale, particularly its intended five-factor structure, examined through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Secondary outcomes encompassed face validity, content validity, internal convergent validity, discriminant validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Additionally, an ordinal CFA sensitivity analysis was performed using the weighted least squares mean-adjusted and variance-adjusted (WLSMV) estimator. The P-PSMEC showed acceptable face and content validity with a Scale Content Validity Index/AVE of 0.871. The main maximum likelihood-based CFA indicated good model fit: χ²/df=1.415, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.041, Comparative Fit Index (CFI)=0.984 and standardised root mean square residual (SRMR)=0.021. An ordinal CFA with WLSMV produced similar results: χ²=168.234, df=109, RMSEA=0.048, CFI=0.981, Tucker-Lewis Index=0.976, SRMR=0.049, with standardised loadings between 0.52 and 0.89. Evidence for internal convergent validity was supported by average variance extracted (AVE) values above 0.50 and composite reliability values above 0.70. Heterotrait-Monotrait ratio values were below 0.85, and maximum shared variance was lower than AVE, indicating good discriminant validity. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α=0.902), and test-retest reliability was also strong (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.901). The P-PSMEC shows good validity and reliability for measuring self-efficacy in managing emotional challenges among Persian-speaking medical students. The results support the proposed five-factor structure, although additional multisite, longitudinal, external validation and measurement-invariance studies are necessary.