Researchers from the CTS-436 Group (Psychosocial and Transcultural Aspects of Health and Illness), affiliated with the Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center at the University of Granada (UGR) and the University of Alicante (UA), in collaboration with the IPIR Institute and other entities, have developed a new assessment scale that allows the evaluation of various responses to grief following the loss of a loved one.
Until now, instruments used to assess grief have mainly focused on symptomatic aspects and coping with loss. However, there was no clinically oriented instrument that could provide a profile encompassing both the psychopathological aspects of grief reactions and those related to the creation of new meanings or potential growth after the loss.
In the study published in the European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, included in the special issue on "Grief, Trauma, and Pain" (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/european-journal-of-trauma-and-dissociation/special-issue/104215HLL7R), our team presented the psychometric properties of the ERD Scale (Grief Response Scale). This instrument was initially developed by Alba Payás based on her integrative-relational model of grief, which has been presented in numerous articles and reference manuals.
The final version of the instrument consists of 24 items that assess symptomatic distress, orientation towards avoidance, orientation towards loss, positive changes, integration of the loss, and social support. The study results have shown adequate evidence of reliability and validity of the instrument, which also distinguishes between those individuals experiencing prolonged or more adaptive grief processes. Having a profile of these characteristics will enable the identification of specific needs in patients who have lost a loved one, as well as evaluating the utility of psychological interventions.
Complete Reference:
Payás-Puigarnau, A., Fernández-Alcántara, M., Coelho, A., Pérez-Marfil, M. N., Cruz-Quintana, F., Camacho, D., ... & Cabañero-Martínez, M. J. (2024). The Grief Response Scale (GRS): Development and initial validation of a new instrument based on the integrative-relational model in a sample of bereaved people. European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 8(1), 100373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejtd.2023.100373
Contact Researchers:
Mª Nieves Pérez-Marfil (nperez@ugr.es)
Francisco Cruz-Quintana (fcruz@ugr.es)
Manuel Fernández-Alcántara (mfernandeza@ua.es)