Rumination in suicide-loss survivors: Psychometric evaluation of the Persian version of the Utrecht Grief Rumination Scale (UGRS)
Moslem Rajabi, Abbas Pourshahbaz, Farhad Taremian, Esmaeil Mousavi AslBACKGROUND:
Survivors of suicide loss (SLSs) represent a unique group that faces a heightened risk of developing complications related to grief, often characterized by ruminating on the reasons behind their loved one’s suicide, which can affect their supportive social networks. Grief rumination is considered a transdiagnostic risk factor for mental health diseases, including prolonged grief. We evaluated the psychometric and reliability of the Iranian Utrecht Grief Rumination Scale (UGRS) among SLSs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
This cross-sectional study, conducted between 2023 and 2024, investigated the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the UGRS. The scale was adapted for the Iranian population through a rigorous translation process encompassing forward translation, reconciliation, and back-translation. A sample of 170 suicide survivors, recruited via convenience and snowball sampling, completed a battery of instruments, including the UGRS, the Prolonged Grief Disorder scale – 13 (PG-13-R), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), alongside assessments of concurrent, convergent, and divergent validity, was employed to evaluate the construct validity of the UGRS. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest reliability over a 4-week interval. Data analysis was performed utilizing SPSS 26 (IBM, USA), Amos 26 (IBM, USA), and Mplus 8.3 (Muthén & Muthén, USA.
RESULTS:
The results of CFA showed that the second-order five-factor hierarchy had more appropriate fit indices than the five correlated factors in suicide survivors (ΔCFI = −0.014, ΔTLI = −0.021, ΔRMSEA = −0.012; ΔSRMR = −0.014). UGRS exhibited a moderate correlation with brooding, indicating a convergent validity, and an HTMT index of less than. 090 in all subscales, indicating its divergent validity. UGRS exhibited a positive correlation with prolonged grief and anxiety and depression, which confirms its concurrent validity. Internal consistency was supported by Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega for all subscales; test-retest reliability was also acceptable (ICC = 0.85).
CONCLUSION:
The Persian UGRS exhibited good psychometric properties, validating its application to assess grief rumination among suicide-loss survivors in both clinical and research contexts.