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Health and Quality of Life Outcomes
Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Care | Research

Psychometric evaluation of the anticipatory grief scale in a sample of family caregivers in the context of palliative care

Authors: Maja Holm, Anette Alvariza, Carl-Johan Fürst, Joakim Öhlen, Kristofer Årestedt

Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Introduction

In palliative care, family caregivers are often faced with experiences of grief in anticipation of the loss of a close person. An instrument designed to measure this form of grief is the Anticipatory Grief Scale, which includes 27 items and has been used in several studies in various contexts. However, the instrument has not been validated.

Aim

The aim was to evaluate the psychometric properties, focusing on the factor structure, of the Anticipatory Grief Scale in a sample of family caregivers in palliative care.

Methods

The study had a cross-sectional design. Data were collected from an intervention study in palliative home care that took place between 2013 and 2014. In total, 270 family caregivers in palliative care completed a baseline questionnaire, including the Anticipatory Grief Scale. The factor structure of the scale was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis.

Results

The initial factor analysis suggested a four-factor solution, but, due to weak communalities, extensive crossloadings, and item inconsistencies, the model was problematic. Further analysis supported that the scale should be reduced to 13 items and two factors. The two subscales captured the behavioral and emotional reactions of grief in family caregivers in palliative care and were named Behavioral reactions and Emotional reactions. This modified version will hereafter be named AGS-13.

Conclusions

This validation study of the Anticipatory Grief Scale resulted in a revised two-factor model, AGS-13, that appears to be promising for use in palliative care but needs to be tested further.
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Metadata
Title
Psychometric evaluation of the anticipatory grief scale in a sample of family caregivers in the context of palliative care
Authors
Maja Holm
Anette Alvariza
Carl-Johan Fürst
Joakim Öhlen
Kristofer Årestedt
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Keyword
Care
Published in
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7525
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-019-1110-4

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