Assessing reliability and factorial validity of the Swedish version of the recovery experience questionnaire adapted for at-work recovery

Recovery from work stress is crucial for health and well-being. While research has strongly focused on recovery processes after the workday, there is increasing recognition of the importance of such processes during work. A challenge in investigating recovery processes at work has been the absence of validated measurement tools. This study developed and examined the psychometric properties of a work context-adapted version of the Swedish version of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire (REQ). Data were collected by means of an online survey, consisting of 481 employees at a large-sized company located in a medium-sized community in Sweden, in which the questionnaire was completed at two occasions (269 completed the questionnaire on the first or the second occasion, and 105 participants on both occasions). To determine the best-fitting model, we first conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the a priori model. Both the EFA and the CFA supported the proposed four-factor structure of the scale, consisting of the factors Control, Relaxation, Mastery, and Psychological detachment. High reliability estimates were demonstrated for both internal consistency of the total measure and of each subscale, and test-retest consistency. Furthermore, the measure proved to have good convergent validity and discriminant validity for all factors, except some concern regarding convergent validity for Mastery. Despite the limitations discussed, the findings provide support for the use of the Swedish version of the REQ-W and suggest the development and psychometric testing of translated versions of the REQ-W in other languages.