Validation of the Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale with Portuguese students

Abstract The Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale (CL-FODS) is a 28-item multidimensional measure assessing fear of death and dying of self and others. This study evaluated the psychometric properties and dimensionality of the Portuguese version in two phases. Phase 1 (P1; December 2018–February 2019) involved 312 students and used Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) to assess validity. Phase 2 (P2; January–March 2024) tested construct reproducibility with 470 students. Participants completed the Portuguese CL-FODS alongside the Social Desirability Scale, Social Anxiety Scale, Loneliness Assessment, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21). An abbreviated version (AB-CLFODS) was developed by removing 12 items across subscales: fear of death of self (Items 1, 2, and 4; e.g., "Short life"), dying of self (Items 1, 5, and 7; e.g., "Physical degradation that occurs"), fear of death of others (Items 1, 2, and 3; e.g., "Loss of a loved one"), and dying of others (Items 1, 2, and 7; e.g., "Having to be with someone who is dying"). The AB-CLFODS demonstrated strong reliability, with Cronbach’s Alpha and McDonald’s ω values of .89 in P1 and .90 in P2. Subscale reliabilities ranged from .75 to .87 in P1 and .79 to .85 in P2. In P1, the scale correlated significantly with social desirability ( p = .003), stress ( p = .031), and social anxiety ( p = .017). P2 confirmed significant correlations with all external measures, including loneliness and DASS-21 scores. Construct validity was further supported in P2 by acceptable fit indices, such as normed chi-square, CFI, and RMSEA values. These findings establish the Portuguese AB-CLFODS as a reliable and valid instrument for assessing fear of death and dying, with consistent psychometric properties and construct validity across time, making it suitable for research and clinical applications.