The Geriatric Feelings of Burdensomeness Scale (GFBS)

ABSTRACT

Objectives

The present article describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Geriatric Feelings of Burdensomeness Scale using two samples of older adults collected through Amazon Mechanical Turk. The scale is a 25-item measure of general subjective feeling of being a burden on or problem for others. The goal of the measure is to capture a broad conceptualization of burdensomeness that is relevant to a variety of important psychological variables.

Method

Two studies are described, including item development and selection, and the examination of reliability and validity evidence in a sample of 192 older adults.

Results

The estimates of reliability (coefficient alpha and average interitem correlations) were strong. Preliminary examination of convergent validity evidence found significant moderate correlations between the Geriatric Feelings of Burdensomeness Scale and measures of conceptually related constructs (hopelessness, suicidality, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness). Small, non-significant correlations were found between three indices of religiosity, providing preliminary discriminant validity evidence.

Conclusions

Our results provide initial psychometric support for a more general and inclusive assessment tool for measuring older adults’ feelings of burdensomeness.

Clinical Implications

With further research on clinical significance of feelings of burdensomeness and predictive validity, this measure may be used to identify concerns and beliefs about burdensomeness among distressed older adults.

KEYWORDS:

• Older adults
• aging
• assessment
• measurement
• mental health
• burden

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

J. Lutz is supported by funding from the National Institute of Mental Health [T32 MH020061].