Yogyakarta, 3 February 2026 – A study entitled “The psychological preparedness of at-risk Indonesian communities to disaster (PREPARED) scale: Validation and norm development,” authored by Pradytia Putri Pertiwi et al. and published in Acta Psychologica (Vol. 262), provides an important contribution to the measurement of psychological preparedness for disasters among Indonesian communities. To date, disaster preparedness initiatives in Indonesia have largely emphasized physical and material aspects, while the psychological dimension has received relatively little attention, despite evidence showing that psychological preparedness is associated with better stress management and a reduced risk of post-disaster mental health problems.
This study developed and validated the PREPARED scale, which comprises 10 psychological constructs with a total of 41 items. Data were collected from 1,734 respondents across 27 provinces in Indonesia, reflecting the diversity of social and geographical contexts in disaster-prone areas. Instrument validation was conducted using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with WLSMV estimation for ordinal data, as well as Multi-group CFA (MG-CFA) to test measurement invariance across gender.
The results indicate that the multidimensional model of the PREPARED scale demonstrates excellent model fit, high reliability (McDonald’s Omega = 0.912), and confirmed measurement invariance. The development of normative data represents a key novelty of this study, as it enhances the practical value of the scale for assessment and intervention in psychological preparedness. The PREPARED scale is expected to become an important tool for strengthening the psychological resilience of Indonesian communities at risk of disasters.
Article link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825014507
Congratulations to Pradytia Putri Pertiwi, S.Psi., Ph.D., and the research team.
Prepared by: Fauzi
Editor: Zufar