Toward a better assessment of coping with bereavement: Applicability to diverse experiences and conceptual structure...

Coping strategies are key adjustable elements mediating the relationship between risk factors and grief outcomes. It is essential to assess coping correctly. Scales based on the Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement have tended to confuse coping strategies and symptoms. The Coping with Bereavement Questionnaire was created to address such shortcomings. This article uses two datasets from Belgian studies to assess the applicability of the items as well as the factor structure of the scale. Logistic regressions revealed nine items as less applicable to a more diverse bereaved sample than people who lost their intimate partner, leading to their exclusion. Factor analyses revealed and confirmed a three-factor structure of coping strategies describing the bereaved's efforts to (1) accept the death and look to the future, (2) avoid thoughts and feelings, and (3) maintain the bond with the deceased. Theoretical issues related to the DPM are discussed.