title: Measuring Coping Behavior in Liver Transplant Candidates: A Psychometric Analysis of the Brief COPE.
abstract: Liver transplant candidates must cope with significant physiological and psychological challenges. The Brief COPE is a frequently used measure of coping behavior; however, knowledge of the scale's factor structure and construct validity is limited with regard to liver transplant candidates. This study assessed the validity of the Brief COPE in 120 liver transplant candidates using exploratory factor analysis. Results revealed a 6-factor solution, only 2 of which were consistent with the original scale assignments. Construct validity of the 6 Brief COPE scales yielded in this study was demonstrated. The results indicate that the Brief COPE is valid, reliable, and can be meaningfully interpreted in liver transplant patients. Future research should confirm this factor structure and examine its predictive validity prior to widespread use among liver transplant patients. Suggestions are presented for enhancing the care of transplant candidates by promoting the use of adaptive coping mechanisms to manage distress.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Boulder, CO, USA nicole.amoyal@ucdenver.edu.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Amoyal
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Anne C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Nanyang Technological University & National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Reuben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Yale School of Medicine, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Dwain C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Fehon
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Brief COPE; active coping; end-stage liver disease; factor analysis; liver transplantation