Assessment of self-efficacy for caregiving in oncology: Italian validation of the caregiver inventory (CGI-I)

BACKGROUND: The Caregiver Inventory (CGI), a measure of self-efficacy for caregiving that takes into account aspects of caregiving that are neglected by current measures of caregiving, was translated into Italian and validated. METHODS: Ninety-one caregivers from a variety of locations in Italy completed the CGI-Italian (CGI-I) as well as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Family Strain Questionnaire - Short Form (FSQ-SF). RESULTS: A confirmatory factor analysis based on the original CGI factor structure resulted in an adequate fit of the CGI-I using standard fit indices. Thus, the original factor structure was validated in the CGI-I: Managing Medical Information (α = 0.87), Caring for Care Recipient (α = 0.68), Caring for Oneself (α = 0.78), and Managing Difficult Interactions/Emotions (α = 0.55). The CGI-I total score was inversely related to anxiety (HADS, r = − 0.35, p = <.05), and depression (HADS, r = − 0.45, p = <.05). In addition, the CGI-I was inversely related to caregiver stress (FSQ-SF, r = − 0.39, p = <.05). Care of Oneself and Managing Difficult Interactions/Emotions emerged as the strongest and most robust negative relationships with anxiety, depression, and caregiver stress, which replicated, with similar constructs, findings from the original CGI. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study established the CGI-I as a reliable and valid measure of self-efficacy for caregiving. This study also confirms the importance of self-care and managing difficult communication in the process of successfully navigating the demands of caregiving and in constructing interventions for caregivers who need support. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-021-00849-5.