Toward the assessment of belief in stages of grief: Construction and validation of a scale

Despite concerns that stage models of grief may harm bereaved people, the impact of belief in stages remains understudied. This is partly due to lack of a comprehensive measurement-instrument to assess belief in stages. Thus, the current study sought to develop such an instrument. Sixty-four items were generated by experts and subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. This culminated in the 19-item Belief in Stages of Grief Scale (BSG), consisting of five factors (Positive, Anxious, Rigid, Passive, and Prescriptive Endorsement). Convergent validity analyses indicated that belief in stages may not be associated with adverse outcomes. However, limitations of this research, including the use of a predominantly female and well-educated convenience sample, highlight the necessity of further investigation. The current research paves the way for future research into the impact of stage-thinking through the development of the BSG and examination of the relationship between belief in stages and health outcomes.