Development and validation of a Christian-based Grief Recovery Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a Christian-based Grief Recovery Scale (CGRS) which was used to measure Christians recovering from grief after a significant loss. Taiwanese Christian participants were recruited from churches and a comprehensive university in northern Taiwan. They were affected by both the Christian faith and Chinese cultural beliefs. The CGRS is developed through replicated factor analyses in three stages. The final version of the CGRS retains 35 Likert-type items and consists of six factors: spiritual wellbeing; recovering meaning and sense of control; ongoing physical and emotional responses; reassuring faith; strongly missing a deceased loved one; and life disturbance. The evidence for CGRS reliability and validity is highlighted. Implications for research and counselling practice are suggested.

Using Kollar's Solution-Focused Pastoral Counseling for Bereaved Clients: The Process of Empowerment from Clients' Perception

“…These concepts powerfully impact Christian clients' responses to death and grief ( Chang, 2005 ). Previous research ( Tan, 2007 ;Pan, et al ., 2014 ) has indicated that bereaved persons were helped by religion and spirituality-related variables to deal with the depression more eff ectively than those who were not spiritually oriented. Through Christian faith, bereaved clients hold the hope that death is not the end ( Charles-Edwards, 2005 ).…”

“…As an example, open and public discussions of death are culturally forbidden for Chinese people year round (Hsu, Kahn, Yee, & Lee, 2004 ), including mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. In the spring season of the Chinese Lunar New Year, mentioning the matter of dying is extremely prohibited as well as in the ghost month of July in the summer season, in the fall season of the moon festival, and in the winter season of blessing with fi recrackers ( Pan, Deng, Tsai, Chen, & Yuan, 2014 ). Therefore, the topic of death remains one of the greatest societal taboos and is associated with bad luck ( Lee, 1997 ;Hsu, et al ., 2004 ;Ho, 2007 ).…”