The Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief: Assessing Spiritual Crisis Following Loss

Abstract

Abstract:Following the death of a loved one, many grievers endorse spirituality as a source of both solace and strain. Studies show that some grievers struggle significantly with both their relationship with God and their faith community, a condition known as complicated spiritual grief (CSG). However, researchers have lacked a simple, multidimensional, well-validated, grief-specific measure of CSG. In this brief report, we reviewed the psychometric validation process and clinical utility of a measure called the Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief (ICSG), which was tested with 304 Christian grievers. The 18-item ICSG was shown to have strong internal consistency, high test-retest reliability, and convergent and incremental validity and supported a two-factor model, measuring one's insecurity with God and the disruption in one's religious practice.

How religious and spiritual beliefs explain prolonged grief disorder symptoms

“…For moderately spiritual participants, their bereavement might have raised unanswered questions regarding these beliefs. It is these unanswered questions that may be the catalyst for prolonged grief symptoms, which be ameliorated by a search for meaning in the wake of their loss (Burke & Neimeyer, 2016;Park, 2010). Thus, the relationship between the importance of spiritual beliefs in daily life and PGD symptomatology could be mediated by meaning-making…”

“…Future studies could examine this process longitudinally to understand further the role of spiritual beliefs in PGD development. This relationship could be explored using the Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief, a new and validated measure of assessing the extent to which spiritual ways of experiencing and understanding life may be called into question in the wake of loss (Burke & Neimeyer, 2016).…”

Evaluación de la espiritualidad en pacientes con duelo utilizando la terapia de aceptación y compromiso en la clínica de duelo por suicidio del Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad de Guadalajara

“…Para la investigación se usó la herramienta ICSG, la cual fue desarrollada por Shear y colaboradores en 2006 y diseñada para evaluar la crisis espiritual experimentada por individuos en duelo a raíz de una pérdida (26). Este instrumento es clínicamente útil, pues no solo evalúa la trayectoria del camino espiritual del sobreviviente a través del duelo, sino que determina cuáles problemas espirituales/religiosos pueden surgir para un creyente en particular en los confines de la terapia.…”

“…El cuestionario ICSG incluye 28 afirmaciones, pero para esta investigación solo se aplicó el apéndice B que incluye 18 reactivos, cada uno calificado con una escala tipo Likert de 5 puntos que indica el grado en que se está de acuerdo o no con lo que se afirma. La suma de todos los elementos da como resultado la puntuación total del ICSG (26).…”

The prevalence of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) after the natural disasters: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Inattention to the treatment of PGD will increase the risk of negative health consequences such as impairment in the spiritual health of the survivors [ 14 ], depression, increased alcohol consumption, suicide, physical disorders, and reduced social participation [ 15 ]. Conducting research and sufficient prior knowledge about the pattern of diseases and injuries caused by disasters are key factors in better planning and reducing the impact of disasters on the affected population [ 16 ].…”