Characterizing personal recovery in severe mental illness: French psychometric validation of the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery (QPR-Fr).

Abstract

Objective: The support of the personal recovery of people with lived experience of mental illness is a major issue in clinical practice. Thus, a valid instrument to assess personal recovery is needed. The present study aimed to validate the French translation of the 22-item Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery (QPR-Fr). Method: A convenience sample of 222 participants reporting a severe mental illness diagnosis was recruited online. Psychometric properties of the QPR-Fr were evaluated. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for structural validity. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed. To test for convergent validity, we conducted multiple linear regression analysis to explore the QPR-Fr associations with psychological distress and the CHIME framework (with Connectedness, Hope and optimism about the future, Identity, Meaning in life, and Empowerment) proxy measures (perceived social support, hope, self-esteem, quality of life, and empowerment). Results: An adequate fit was found for a 19-item unidimensional factor structure. Internal consistency was excellent. Test reliability was good. The QPR-Fr total score was significantly positively associated with quality of life, hope, self-esteem, and social support satisfaction and negatively associated with psychological distress. No significant association was found with social support availability nor with empowerment. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: This study provides additional data to support the cross-cultural validity of the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery. The QPR-Fr is a valid and reliable tool to assess personal recovery. Practitioners could use the QPR-Fr to assess personal recovery in collaboration with people with lived experience. Convergent validity with CHIME proxy measures supports the validity of the CHIME framework in a French cultural context. Impact and ImplicationsBecause the present study found that the French version of the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery (QPR-Fr) is a 19-item valid and reliable instrument to evaluate personal recovery, it can be implemented into routine practice for practitioners to collaboratively assess the personal recovery of people with lived experience. With the QPR-Fr, French researchers will also be able to investigate personal recovery and its associated factors to better understand what enhances or hinders personal recovery, paving the way to cross-cultural studies worldwide. This study constitutes a first step in the validation of the QPR-Fr. Addressing its limitations in further studies would help to render the QPR-Fr a more valuable instrument in clinical practice. It would have as implications the transformation of psychiatric practices toward a personal recovery approach and the development of national and international guidelines to assist the promotion of the personal recovery of people with a mental disorder.