TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2006//
TI  - Hopelessness at the end of life: the utility of the hopelessness scale with terminally ill cancer patients
JO  - British journal of health psychology
A1  - Abbey, Jennifer G.
A1  - Rosenfeld, Barry
A1  - Pessin, Hayley
A1  - Breitbart, William
SP  - 173
EP  - 183
VL  - 11
IS  - Pt 2
N2  - OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate the utility of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (HS) in a sample of terminally ill cancer patients by examining the scale properties. Moreover, we sought to identify and remove potentially problematic items in order to ascertain a "purer" index of hopelessness for this population.  DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of 200 hospice inpatients with a life expectancy of less than 6 months. The HS, as well as several other distress measures, were administered to patients at bedside by trained clinicians.  METHODS: An item analysis of the HS was conducted, looking specifically at item endorsement and item-total correlations. Three abbreviated versions (3-item 7-item, 13-item) were developed based on certain denoted item-total correlation cut-offs. Reliability and validity of the original 20-item HS was then compared to that of the newly developed abbreviated version.  RESULTS: All scales were found to be reliable and valid measures of hopelessness. The three abbreviated versions were more highly correlated with the distress measures than the original version, and the 7-item and 13-item subscales outperformed the original HS in the prediction of suicidal ideation and desire for hastened death.  CONCLUSION: The data suggest that the HS may be improved, when applied to a terminally ill sample, by the elimination of problematic items. The development of a shorter, purer measure of hopelessness for this population is crucial given the need to reduce the burden placed on those who participate in end-of-life studies, and the important role of hopelessness in the prediction of suicide and desire for hastened death.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1359-107X
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1348/135910705X36749
ID  - ref1
ER  -