Caregiver behaviors and childhood maladaptive grief: Initial validation of the Grief Facilitation Inventory

Abstract

The Grief Facilitation Inventory (GFI) is a newly-developed measure of caregiver behaviors theorized to facilitate or hinder children’s adaptive grief reactions. We examine its factor structure, reliability, and validity. An exploratory factor analysis identified four factors: Ongoing Connection, Existential Continuity/Support, Caregiver Grief Expression, and Grief Inhibition/Avoidance. Both child- and caregiver-report versions had adequate-to-good internal consistency. The child-report GFI showed evidence of criterion-referenced validity via significant correlations with measures of child maladaptive grief and other psychological symptoms. Results provide preliminary evidence of the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the GFI as a measure of caregiver grief-facilitation behaviors.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by New York Life Foundation (PI: Kaplow; Co-I: Layne) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (PI: Kaplow).