Translation and validation of the Perinatal Grief Scale in a sample of Greek women with perinatal loss during the 1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: To translate and validate the Perinatal Grief Scale (PGS) (short version) in a sample of Greek women with perinatal loss during the first and second trimester of pregnancy.Methods: One hundred seventy-six women were approached a few hours after the loss. Along with the PGS, three more questionnaires were completed: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), in order to assess the convergent validity of the PGS.Results: Total sample mean age was 34.1 years (SD = 5.2). Mean values and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for PGS subscales exceeded the minimum reliability standard of 0.70. Mean score for “Active grief” was 31.47 (SD = 9.31), for “Difficulty Coping” was 23.13 (SD = 7.54) and for “Despair” was 21.07 (SD = 7.07). By applying Pearson’s correlation coefficients, PGS subscales positively correlated with scores on EPDS, STAI and HADS.Conclusions: The PGS Greek version is a reliable instrument in terms of internal consistency and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients are high. The Greek version of PGS can be a useful instrument for the detection of the psychological impact after a perinatal loss and it has implications for both scientific research and clinical routine.