Hopelessness at the end of life: the utility of the hopelessness scale with terminally ill cancer patients

British Journal of Health Psychology
Jennifer G AbbeyWilliam Breitbart

Abstract

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. 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. 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. 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. The data suggest that the HS may be improved, when a...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 10, 2009·Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology·Christian J NelsonAndrew J Roth
Nov 2, 2011·The Psychiatric Quarterly·Yu-Chen KaoChien-Wen Lu
Jun 7, 2011·Journal of Pain and Symptom Management·Lucy SelmanIrene J Higginson
Jul 19, 2011·General Hospital Psychiatry·Sung-Wan KimJin-Sang Yoon
Feb 11, 2011·Journal of Pain and Symptom Management·Lucy SelmanIrene J Higginson
Mar 31, 2009·Archives of Psychiatric Nursing·Kyriaki MystakidouLambros Vlahos
Aug 15, 2014·Journal of Pain and Symptom Management·Kathryn A SmithLinda Ganzini
Dec 30, 2014·Journal of Pain and Symptom Management·Michael J GreenBenjamin H Levi
Dec 18, 2013·General Hospital Psychiatry·Seon-Young KimJin-Sang Yoon
Nov 12, 2014·Palliative & Supportive Care·Megan BestFleur Webster
Jul 13, 2014·General Hospital Psychiatry·Willi OberaignerChristian Haring
Oct 15, 2009·Palliative Medicine·Elisabet WastesonUNKNOWN European Palliative Care Research Collaborative (EPCRC)
Dec 30, 2014·World Journal of Psychiatry·Maurizio PompiliCarla Buttinelli
Sep 29, 2011·Cancer Nursing·Linda AnguianoDonald Rosenstein

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