Investigating the psychometric properties of the Turkish form of the Grief and Meaning Reconstruction Inventory

Abstract

Investigating the psychometric properties of the Turkish form of the Grief and Meaning Reconstruction Inventory Objective: The aim of this study is to adapt the Grief and Meaning Reconstruction Inventory (GMRI) to Turkish. Method: Three hundred and six adults who lost their spouse or one of their parents or siblings due to death in a period between 6 months and 10 years previously were included in the study. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire set including GMRI, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), StateTrait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and a demographic information form that was generated by the researchers. To investigate the psychometric properties of the Turkish form of the scale, exploratory factor analyses, parallel analysis, reliability analyses (Cronbach’s alpha), correlation analyses, and regression analyses were conducted. Results: Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) showed that the Turkish form of the GMRI consisted of 27 items and 4 subscales. Parallel analysis also supported a four-factor structure. Cronbach’s alpha values for the Turkish form of the GMRI were found to be similar to the original scale. Correlation analyses showed that the GMRI scores were strongly negatively correlated with both depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms. In addition, after controlling for the time elapsed since the loss, age of the bereaved, education level of the bereaved, and age of the deceased person, GMRI scores were found to be a significant negative predictor of BDI and STAI scores. Conclusion: This study showed that the Turkish version of the GMRI can be used in Turkish culture as a valid and reliable measurement tool.