Complicated Grief in a Spanish Sample of Victims of Terrorism: Evidence of Validity of the Inventory of Complicated Grief

Abstract

The Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG) is the most widely used instrument to measure complicated grief (CG), but its psychometric properties have hardly been examined in relatives of those who died by violent means. The objective of this study was to obtain evidence of validity of the ICG in a relatives of those who died due to terrorist attacks in Spain. The factorial structure, internal consistency, and relationship with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress were analyzed in a Spanish sample of 211 relatives of people who died in terrorist attacks. The ICG presented a one-factor structure that supports the validity of its total score. This score showed excellent internal consistency indices (alpha = .927; omega = .932) and adequate correlation indices with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress (r =.71, .63 and .76, respectively). The ICG provides reliable and valid measures of CG in adults who have lost a family member due to violent death.

El Inventario de Duelo Complicado (ICG) es el instrumento más utilizado para medir el duelo complicado (DC), pero sus propiedades psicométricas apenas han sido examinadas en familiares de fallecidos por muerte violenta. El objetivo del presente estudio fue obtener evidencias de validez del ICG en familiares de fallecidos por atentados terroristas residentes en España. Se analizó la estructura factorial, consistencia interna y relación con la depresión, la ansiedad y el estrés postraumático en 211 familiares de fallecidos en atentados terroristas en España. El ICG presenta una estructura unifactorial que apoya la validez de su puntuación total. Esta puntuación mostró índices excelentes de consistencia interna (alfa = .927; omega = .932) e índices adecuados de relación con la depresión, la ansiedad y el estrés postraumático (r = .71, .63 y .76, respectivamente). El ICG proporciona medidas fiables y válidas de DC en adultos que han perdido un familiar por muerte violenta.