Structure of the Collett-Lester Fear of Death and Dying Scale

The study examined the factor and cluster structures and internal consistency reliabilities of the Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale. Data were reanalyzed from an earlier study of 88 subjects who completed the scale under neutral conditions. The four subscales showed only weak recovery in the four-factor solution and gender loaded on the factor reflecting the Fear of Death of Others subscale. The two-factor solution showed that items reflecting the death and dying of "self" tended to load on the first factor whereas items concerning "others" loaded on the second factor. A Ward's cluster analysis yielded five meaningful clusters of items. Not surprisingly, the four subscales showed only moderate internal consistency reliabilities whereas the overall scale was acceptable. Comments are presented for improving the scale as well as for using the scale in applied settings.