TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing spiritual growth and spiritual decline following a diagnosis of cancer
T2 - Reliability and validity of the spiritual transformation scale
AU - Cole, Brenda S.
AU - Hopkins, Clare M.
AU - Tisak, John
AU - Steel, Jennifer L.
AU - Carr, Brian I.
PY - 2008/2
Y1 - 2008/2
N2 - This study assessed the factor structure, reliability, and validity of an instrument designed to assess spiritual transformations following a diagnosis of cancer - the Spiritual Transformation Scale (STS). The instrument was administering to 253 people diagnosed with cancer within the previous 2 years. Two underlying factors emerged (spiritual growth (SG) and spiritual decline (SD)) with adequate internal reliability (alpha = 0.98 and 0.86, respectively) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.85 and 0.73, respectively). Validity was supported by correlations between SG and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) Positive Affect Subscale (r = 0.23, p <0.001), the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (r = 0.57, p <0.001), and the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (r = 0.68, p <0.001). SD was associated with higher scores on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (r = 0.38, p <0.001) and PANAS-Negative Affect Subscale (r = 0.40, p <0.001), and lower scores on the PANAS-Positive Affect Subscale (r = -0.23, p <0.001), and the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (r = -0.30, p <0.001). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the subscales uniquely predicted adjustment beyond related constructs (intrinsic religiousness, spiritual coping, and general post-traumatic growth). The results indicate that the STS is psychometrically sound, with SG predicting better, and SD predicting poorer, mental and spiritual well-being following a diagnosis of cancer.
AB - This study assessed the factor structure, reliability, and validity of an instrument designed to assess spiritual transformations following a diagnosis of cancer - the Spiritual Transformation Scale (STS). The instrument was administering to 253 people diagnosed with cancer within the previous 2 years. Two underlying factors emerged (spiritual growth (SG) and spiritual decline (SD)) with adequate internal reliability (alpha = 0.98 and 0.86, respectively) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.85 and 0.73, respectively). Validity was supported by correlations between SG and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) Positive Affect Subscale (r = 0.23, p <0.001), the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (r = 0.57, p <0.001), and the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (r = 0.68, p <0.001). SD was associated with higher scores on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (r = 0.38, p <0.001) and PANAS-Negative Affect Subscale (r = 0.40, p <0.001), and lower scores on the PANAS-Positive Affect Subscale (r = -0.23, p <0.001), and the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (r = -0.30, p <0.001). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the subscales uniquely predicted adjustment beyond related constructs (intrinsic religiousness, spiritual coping, and general post-traumatic growth). The results indicate that the STS is psychometrically sound, with SG predicting better, and SD predicting poorer, mental and spiritual well-being following a diagnosis of cancer.
KW - Religion
KW - Spiritual change
KW - Spiritual growth and spiritual decline
KW - Spiritual transformation
KW - Spirituality and cancer
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=39549121690&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=39549121690&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/pon.1207
DO - 10.1002/pon.1207
M3 - Article
C2 - 17458862
AN - SCOPUS:39549121690
VL - 17
SP - 112
EP - 121
JO - Psycho-Oncology
JF - Psycho-Oncology
SN - 1057-9249
IS - 2
ER -