Sophie Robinson1,2, David W Kissane1,3,4,5, Joanne Brooker1,3, Courtney Hempton1,3, Natasha Michael4,6, Jane Fischer7, Michael Franco5,6, Merlina Sulistio4, David M Clarke1, Mehmet Ozmen1,8, Susan Burney2,3. 1. Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Clayton, Australia. 2. School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia. 3. Szalmuk Family Psycho-Oncology Unit, Cabrini Health, Malvern, Australia. 4. Cabrini Palliative Care Service, Prahran, Australia. 5. Supportive and Palliative Care Unit, Monash Health, Clayton, Australia. 6. Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Clayton, Australia. 7. Department of Palliative Care, Calvary Health Care Bethlehem, Caulfield, Australia. 8. Department of Econometrics, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The recently refined Demoralization Scale-II (DS-II) is a 16-item, self-report measure of demoralization. Its 2 factors-Meaning and Purpose and Distress and Coping Ability-demonstrate sound internal validity, including item fit, unidimensionality, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. The convergent and discriminant validity of the DS-II with various measures is reported here. METHODS: Patients who had cancer or other progressive diseases and were receiving palliative care (n = 211) completed a battery of questionnaires, including the DS-II and measures of symptom burden, quality of life, depression, and attitudes toward the end of life. Spearman ρ correlations were determined to assess convergent validity. Mann-Whitney U tests with calculated effect sizes were used to examine discriminant validity and establish the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). Cross-tabulation frequencies with chi-square analyses were used to examine discriminant validity with major depression. RESULTS: The DS-II demonstrated convergent validity with measures of psychological distress, quality of life, and attitudes toward the end of life. It also demonstrated discriminant validity, as the DS-II differentiated patients who had different functional performance levels and high/low symptoms, with a difference of 2 points between groups on the DS-II considered clinically meaningful. Furthermore, discriminant validity was demonstrated, as comorbidity with depression was not observed at moderate levels of demoralization. CONCLUSIONS: The DS-II has sound psychometric properties and is an appropriate measure of demoralization. Given its structural simplicity and brevity, it is likely to be a useful tool in meaning-centered therapies. Cancer 2016;122:2260-7.
BACKGROUND: The recently refined Demoralization Scale-II (DS-II) is a 16-item, self-report measure of demoralization. Its 2 factors-Meaning and Purpose and Distress and Coping Ability-demonstrate sound internal validity, including item fit, unidimensionality, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. The convergent and discriminant validity of the DS-II with various measures is reported here. METHODS:Patients who had cancer or other progressive diseases and were receiving palliative care (n = 211) completed a battery of questionnaires, including the DS-II and measures of symptom burden, quality of life, depression, and attitudes toward the end of life. Spearman ρ correlations were determined to assess convergent validity. Mann-Whitney U tests with calculated effect sizes were used to examine discriminant validity and establish the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). Cross-tabulation frequencies with chi-square analyses were used to examine discriminant validity with major depression. RESULTS: The DS-II demonstrated convergent validity with measures of psychological distress, quality of life, and attitudes toward the end of life. It also demonstrated discriminant validity, as the DS-II differentiated patients who had different functional performance levels and high/low symptoms, with a difference of 2 points between groups on the DS-II considered clinically meaningful. Furthermore, discriminant validity was demonstrated, as comorbidity with depression was not observed at moderate levels of demoralization. CONCLUSIONS: The DS-II has sound psychometric properties and is an appropriate measure of demoralization. Given its structural simplicity and brevity, it is likely to be a useful tool in meaning-centered therapies. Cancer 2016;122:2260-7.
Authors: Brian T Anderson; Alicia Danforth; Prof Robert Daroff; Christopher Stauffer; Eve Ekman; Gabrielle Agin-Liebes; Alexander Trope; Matthew Tyler Boden; Prof James Dilley; Jennifer Mitchell; Joshua Woolley Journal: EClinicalMedicine Date: 2020-09-24
Authors: Susan Koranyi; Andreas Hinz; Julia M Hufeld; Tim J Hartung; Leonhard Quintero Garzón; Uta Fendel; Anne Letsch; Matthias Rose; Peter Esser; Anja Mehnert-Theuerkauf Journal: Front Psychol Date: 2021-11-24
Authors: Madeline Li; Gilla K Shapiro; Roberta Klein; Anne Barbeau; Anne Rydall; Jennifer A H Bell; Rinat Nissim; Sarah Hales; Camilla Zimmermann; Rebecca K S Wong; Gary Rodin Journal: BMC Palliat Care Date: 2021-07-21 Impact factor: 3.234