A Turkish adaptation of the grief cognitions questionnaire: Factor analysis, reliability and validity

This study aims to adapt the Grief Cognitions Questionnaire (GCQ) in Turkish and examine its psychometric properties. The sample consisted of 675 participants who were 18 years and over, experienced a loss at least 6 months prior to survey. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the factor structure of the scale. A principal component factor analysis revealed six factors that explain 67.8% of the variance. These are negative cognitions about future after loss, negative/threatening interpretation of emotions and reactions to loss, negative cognitions about self after loss, negative cognitions about world after loss, cherish grief and negative cognitions about others after loss. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using AMOS v.23 to examine validity of the six-factor structure. It was revealed that the modified model fit the data better ( χ2 = 1020.50, df = 386, p = .000; GFI = .85, CFI = .90, NFI = .85, RMSEA = .066, AGFI = .82). The Cronbach Alpha coefficient for the total GCQ was .97 and between .78 and .94 for subscales. Based on these findings, the Turkish version of the GCQ has sufficient psychometric properties and it can be used as a valid and reliable measurement tool in evaluating negative cognitions after loss. Since there is a limited number of studies on grief and the relative scarcity in terms of assessment tools, this study provides a significant contribution to the literature.