• Norwegian BSCS validated in primary care mental health follow-up (N=187). • Three-factor solutions fit; bifactor models support a general self-control factor. • BSCS total score relates to depression, anxiety and functional impairment. • Total score predicts functioning beyond symptoms; subscales add little. The Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) is widely used to assess trait self-control, yet its internal structure remains debated. We validated a Norwegian BSCS in adults previously treated for anxiety and/or depression in primary mental health care (N = 187; 74% women; mean age = 38.5 years) at 24-month follow-up, and examined dimensionality and clinical correlates. Confirmatory factor analyses (WLSMV) compared published BSCS structures with a three-factor solution suggested by exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and bifactor models evaluated the relative contribution of a general self-control factor and specific facets. Parallel analysis and EFA supported up to three factors, with the three-factor solution providing the best balance between fit and interpretability (RMSEA = .054, CFI = .977, SRMR = .050). Several published multifactor models also showed acceptable fit, whereas the original one-factor and some two-factor solutions fitted poorly. Bifactor indices suggested a moderate-to-strong general factor across models (ω = .76–.88; ωH = .43–.77; ECV = .41–.66), with moderate unique reliability for facets reflecting self-discipline/restraint and impulsivity. Higher BSCS total scores were associated with fewer depressive symptoms (r = −.56), anxiety (r = −.41), caseness (r = −.35), and less functional impairment (r = −.53; all p < .001), and the total score predicted daily functioning beyond depressive and anxiety symptoms, whereas subscales added little incremental validity. These findings support use of a unit-weighted BSCS total score as an efficient indicator of self-control in Norwegian clinical settings.
Smith et al. (Fri,) studied this question.