Confirmatory factor analysis of the original posttraumatic growth inventory (PTCI) in a cardiac surgery sample

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (ICPT), a 21-item version adapted to Portuguese. Methods The sample consisted of 318 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery between October 2022 and March 2024. Participants completed a socio-demographic and clinical questionnaire, the Self-Perceived Stress Scale (EPS-10). Results The majority were male (77%), with a mean age of 64.75 years (SD = 9.53), White (93%), and married (70%). Most participants reported experiencing stress (72%) and had an average post-traumatic growth score of 73.9. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the original five-factor model of the 21-item scale. Internal consistency estimates ranged from 0.56 to 0.81, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.90, indicating acceptable reliability. Structural equation modeling further confirmed the factor structure, yielding RMSEA = 0.046, TLI = 0.992, CFI = 0.993, and SRMR = 0.065, demonstrating good model fit. Conclusion Overall, the results provide empirical support for the factor structure and reliability of the 21-item version of the ICPT, indicating its suitability for research in the context of chronic diseases.