Measurement invariance of the Grief Facilitation Inventory with respect to youth gender, race, ethnicity, and age

Abstract

The Grief Facilitation Inventory (GFI) assesses caregiver grief facilitation behaviors among bereaved youth. Initial analyses supported the GFI’s reliability and validity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate measurement invariance of the GFI across gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Participants were 558 clinic-referred youth aged 7–18 (58.8% female; 43.6% Latino(a), 24.9% White, 14.9% Black, 16.6% Multiracial). Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence of measurement invariance for ongoing connection, caregiver grief expression, and existential continuity and support—but not grief inhibition/avoidance—across subgroups. Results suggest that ongoing connection, caregiver grief expression, and existential continuity and support are measuring similar constructs, to a similar degree, across demographics, thereby supporting generalizability and clinical utility of these subscales. The grief inhibition/avoidance subscale should be used with caution and interpreted in the context of low reliability for Black, Latino(a), and younger youth, with further research needed to improve conceptualization and measurement of this subscale.

Disclosure statement

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

Data availability statement

The preexisting dataset analyzed for this study is not publicly available, but is available upon reasonable request from the Trauma and Grief (TAG) Center team ([email protected]), who are the owners of these data.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SM − 062111), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, New York Life Foundation, and Greater Houston Community Foundation provided to Dr. Kaplow (PI).