Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief – ICSG
Measures spiritual distress, crisis, and struggle following the loss of a loved one.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief – ICSG was developed by Laurie A. Burke, Robert A. Neimeyer (2014). It is designed to measure Complicated Spiritual Grief. The scale is intended for use with Bereaved adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 18 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Insecurity with God, Disruption in Religious Practice.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Insecurity with God | 1,4,7,10,13,16,18 | 7 |
| Disruption in Religious Practice | 2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12,14,15,17 | 11 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not at all true, 1 = A little true, 2 = Somewhat true, 3 = Mostly true, 4 = Very definitely true.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 72. Interpretation guidelines:
- Total Score Range (higher scores indicate greater spiritual grief): 0 – 72
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > .90 for total scale and subscales).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.