The Loss Inventory: preliminary reliability and validity data for a new measure of emotional and cognitive responses to disability.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the utility, reliability and validity of a new scale, The Loss Inventory (LI) for measuring symptoms unique to grief following disablement.


METHODS
Prospective survey study in which two self-report measures, the LI and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, were administered to 103 hospitalized rehabilitation patients. Correlational analyses, t tests, t score conversions of raw data, and analysis of variance used to determine reliability (internal consistency) of the LI and compare means of scores across several variables.


RESULTS
Cronbach's Alpha=0.90 for the LI. The Zung and the LI correlated 0.59 but study subjects were significantly (p<0.001) more likely to score higher on the LI than on the Zung. Certain LI items were significantly more frequently endorsed by depressed patients. Significant gender and ethnic differences were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Rehabilitation patients sampled in this study were no more likely to be depressed than most people. Grief symptoms reported following functional losses are similar to those reported by persons who have experienced the death of someone close. The Loss Inventory reliably measures these grief symptoms. Gender and ethnicity affect the manner in which grief symptoms are reported. The LI may improve mental health clinicians' diagnostic accuracy in rehabilitation and medical settings.
Niemeier
Janet
J
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0661, USA. jniemeir@hsc.vcu.edu
Kennedy
Richard
R
McKinley
William
W
Cifu
David
D
D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003863:Depression / Q000145:classification* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires