Measuring grief and loss after spinal cord injury: Development, validation and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Grief and Loss item bank and short form

This study addresses the need for a specific tool to measure grief and loss in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), as existing measures primarily focus on bereavement related to the death of a loved one. The researchers developed the SCI-QOL Grief and Loss item bank, a new measurement system that captures grief and loss aspects highly relevant to the losses experienced by people with SCI. The item bank was created using input from SCI patients and clinicians, ensuring the tool's relevance and validity for this specific population.

• 1
  The final calibrated item bank includes 17 items, demonstrating a unidimensional model and good measurement precision, indicating it's a robust tool.
• 2
  While some items showed differential item functioning (DIF), the effect sizes were negligible, suggesting little practical impact on score estimates.
• 3
  The SCI-QOL Grief and Loss item bank is available as a Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) and a short form, providing flexibility in administration based on user needs.