A Brief Measure for the Assessment of Competence in Coping With Death: The Coping With Death Scale Short Version

Laura Galiana; Amparo Oliver; Gustavo De Simone; Juan P Linzitto; Enric Benito; Noemí Sansó

doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.11.003

A Brief Measure for the Assessment of Competence in Coping With Death: The Coping With Death Scale Short Version

J Pain Symptom Manage. 2019 Feb;57(2):209-215. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.11.003. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Authors

Laura Galiana¹, Amparo Oliver¹, Gustavo De Simone², Juan P Linzitto², Enric Benito³, Noemí Sansó⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Methodology for the Behavioral Sciences, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
² Pallium Latinoamérica, CABA, Argentina.
³ Department of Health Sciences, University Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain.
⁴ Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain. Electronic address: noemi.sanso@uib.es.

PMID: 30447381
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.11.003

Abstract

Context: The coping with death competence is of great importance for palliative care professionals, who face daily exposure to death. It can keep them from suffering compassion fatigue and burnout, thus enhancing the quality of the care provided. Despite its relevance, there are only two measures of professionals' ability to cope with death. Specifically, the Coping with Death Scale (CDS) has repeatedly shown psychometric problems with some of its items.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a short version of the CDS.

Methods: Nine items from the original CDS were chosen for the short version. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Spanish (N = 385) and Argentinian (N = 273) palliative care professionals. The CDS and the Professional Quality of Life Scale were used in this study. Statistical analyses included two confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs), followed by a standard measurement invariance routine. Reliability estimates and evidence of validity based on relations with other measures were also gathered.

Results: CFA models had excellent fit in both the Spanish (χ²(27) = 107.043, P < 0.001; Comparative Fit Index [CFI] = 0.978; Tucker-Lewis Index [TLI] = 0.970; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation [RMSEA] = 0.093 [0.075, 0.112]; Standardized Root Mean Square Residual = 0.030) and Argentinian (χ²(27) = 102.982, P < 0.001; CFI = 0.963; TLI = 0.950; RMSEA = 0.106 [0.085, 0.128]) samples. A standard measurement invariance routine was carried out. The most parsimonious model (χ²(117) = 191.738, P < 0.001; CFI = 0.987; TLI = 0.992; RMSEA = 0.046 [0.034, 0.058]; Standardized Root Mean Square Residual = 0.043) offered evidence of invariance across countries, with no latent mean differences. Evidence of reliability and evidence of validity based on relations with other measures were also appropriate.

Conclusion: Results indicated the psychometric boundaries of the short version of the CDS.

Keywords: Argentina; Coping with death; Spain; invariance measurement; palliative care professionals; reliability; validity.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Validation Study

MeSH terms

Adaptation, Psychological*
Adult
Aged
Argentina
Attitude to Death*
Compassion Fatigue
Cross-Sectional Studies
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Health Personnel / psychology*
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Palliative Care / methods
Palliative Care / psychology
Psychometrics / methods*
Quality of Life
Reproducibility of Results
Spain
Surveys and Questionnaires