Assessing the Psychometric Properties of the Illness Management and Recovery Scale: A Systematic Review Using the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN)

Abstract

The Illness Management and Recovery Scale (IMR-S) is based on the IMR program,developed to assess the recovery process for people with severe mental disorders by consideringthe perceptions of clients and clinicians involved in it. The aim of this study was to analyze thepsychometric properties of the IMR-S so as to determine the reliability and suitability of its scores forevaluating recovery. Two coders searched five databases for studies, published between January 2004and May 2023, that describe the psychometric assessment of the IMR-S. Studies were assessed usingthe COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) Risk of Bias checklist. Finally, 46 papers were included. Methodological quality was very good formost of the studies that provide information on internal validity, and limited for those that report onresponsiveness. Measurement properties were positive for convergent validity and measurementerror. The quality of evidence was high for structural validity studies. Although this study onlyincludes research published in English and may have overlooked certain psychometric propertiesevaluated in studies published in other languages, our findings suggest that the IMR-S is a valid andreliable instrument, demonstrating its potential to offer guidance for clinical practice