Validation of a German Version of the Grief Cognitions Questionnaire and Establishment of a Short Form

Abstract

BackgroundWhereas the majority of bereaved persons recover from their grief without professional assistance, a minority develops pathological grief reactions. Etiological models postulate that dysfunctional cognitions may perpetuate such reactions. The Grief Cognitions Questionnaire (GCQ) assesses thoughts after bereavement in nine interrelated domains. A short form (GCQ-SF) with four domains is often used. However, an evaluation of the psychometric properties of the GCQ-SF and its utility compared to the GCQ is lacking and these instruments have not been validated in German.MethodGerman bereaved persons (time since loss 35.3 ± 34.6 months) responded to an online survey containing the GCQ, measures of grief severity, grief rumination, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and optimism and pessimism. 585 participants (18–78 years, 88% women) were included. Item analyses and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. Correlations between the GCQ and GCQ-SF and grief rumination, optimism and pessimism assessed construct validity. Criterion-related validity was assessed by comparing whether the correlation of the GCQ (and the GCQ-SF) with grief severity was higher than with anxious and depressive symptoms. Logistic regression and receiver-operator characteristics (ROC) compared the questionnaires on their ability to predict probable prolonged grief ‘caseness’ (ICG ≥ 25, time since loss ≥6 months).ResultsInternal consistencies for both questionnaires were identical and excellent (α = 0.96). Confirmatory factor analyses obtained a satisfactory fit for models with nine and four correlated subscales and respective higher-order factor models. The GCQ and the GCQ-SF correlated higher with grief severity than with other measures of psychopathology. The logistic regression showed a significant association between the GCQ-SF and prolonged grief ‘caseness’. Of the remaining subscales of the GCQ, only one subscale (‘Others’) contributed to the prediction. The ROC analyses showed nearly identical areas under the curve.ConclusionThe translated GCQ and GCQ-SF demonstrated very good psychometric properties. The correlations with grief severity highlight the questionnaires’ clinical relevance. The questionnaires possessed identical diagnostic specificity and sensitivity. Whenever a timesaving assessment of the most typical grief-specific cognitions is important, the GCQ-SF represents an alternative to the GCQ. The original GCQ may still be superior when a more detailed description of a bereaved person’s cognitions is desirable.

My Grief App for Prolonged Grief in Bereaved Parents: A Pilot Study

“…Participants rate on a 6-point scale to what extent they agree with the statement (disagree strongly—agree strongly, 0–5). The total score ranges from 0 to 90 and a higher score indicates a stronger endorsement of negative cognitions ( 42 ). The GCQ-18 was translated by two of the authors (RE and JS) following the EORTC guidelines ( 41 ).…”

Negative Cognitions and Emotional Distress Following Job Loss: Development and Validation of the Beliefs About Loss of Work (BLOW) Scale

“…We first examined the factor structure of this novel instrument. Following prior findings on the GCQ (Boelen & Lensvelt-Mulders, 2005;Doering et al, 2021), it was expected that a second-order model with eight correlated factors would fit the data well (Hypothesis 1). Second, we examined its internal consistency, which was expected to be high since the BLOW scale was developed as an analogue of the GCQ (Hypothesis 2).…”

“…The aim of the current study was to introduce and evaluate the psychometric properties of a novel instrument that measures negative cognitions associated with involuntary job loss. This new instrument, the Beliefs about Loss of Work (BLOW) scale, is based on the 38-item GCQ, a well-established instrument with adequate psychometric properties designed to measure negative cognitions following bereavement on nine subdomains (Boelen et al, 2003;Doering et al, 2021). The original GCQ subscale "cherish grief" was not included in the BLOW, as its items were deemed irrelevant to job loss.…”

A Mobile App for Prolonged Grief among Bereaved Parents: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Participants rate on a 6-point scale to what extent they agree with the statement (disagree strongly – agree strongly, 0-5). The total score ranges from 0-90 (55) and a higher score indicates stronger endorsement of negative cognitions (56). The GCQ was translated into Swedish by two grief researchers (JS & RE) at the Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University in 2020 following EORTC guidelines (52).…”