A comparative study of the 30-item ProQOL 5, 12-item brief ProQOL-12, and 9-item short ProQOL scales in Slovak helping professionals

The Professional Quality of Life scale (ProQOL) is the most widely used tool to assess compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction in people working in helping professions (e.g., health care professionals, teachers, police officers). However, psychometric concerns have been raised, which have led to the development of two revised, shortened versions: the Brief ProQOL-12 and the 9-item Short ProQOL. However, the psychometric qualities of these shortened versions still need to be demonstrated. This study compared the validity and reliability of the original and two shortened ProQOL versions. The cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 639 helping professionals from Slovakia. We first evaluated model fit and reliability in terms of internal consistency. Convergent validity was examined by testing the relationships between the three ProQOL versions and two validated measures of compassion (Forms of Self-Criticising/Attacking & Self-Reassuring Scale; Sussex-Oxford Compassion for the Self/Others scales). Both the Brief ProQOL-12 (CFI = 0.957, RMSEA = 0.068) and the Short ProQOL (CFI = 0.976, RMSEA = 0.061) showed superior model fit and factor distinctions, compared to the original ProQOL 5 (CFI = 0.704, RMSEA = 0.097), and better convergent validity in terms of higher AVE values (> 0.51). For all three ProQOL versions, the internal consistency was good (α/ω > 0.8 across subscales), except for burnout in ProQOL 5, which was relatively low (α = 0.731; ω = 0.661). Also the convergent validity was supported for all three ProQOL versions, as indicated by significant positive correlations with other measures of compassion. The Brief ProQOL-12 and the 9-item Short ProQOL both outperformed the 30-item ProQOL 5 in terms of model fit and structural validity. Their reliability and convergent validity was supported in a large group of helping professionals from Slovakia. With an additional item per subscale, the Brief ProQOL-12 may offer a better balance between brevity and construct coverage. Both shorter scales may be valuable for both research and practical applications and have potential to enhance professionals' well-being by allowing for a quick screening, continuous monitoring and tailored interventions for helping professionals.