The development and initial psychometric evaluation of the Centrality of Loss Scale (CLS) in a national sample of bereaved adults from Poland
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21101641 |
|---|---|
| Authors | J M Cunningham (0009-0003-2630-5670, University of Ulster, corresponding author), Mark Shevlin (0000-0001-6262-5223, University of Ulster), Eoin McElroy (0000-0001-5466-8522, University of Ulster), Enya Redican (0000-0002-8863-2234, University of Ulster), Yafit Levin (0000-0001-5907-6569, Ariel University), Philip Hyland (0000-0002-9574-7128, National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Thanos Karatzias (0000-0002-3002-0630, Edinburgh Napier University), Agata Błachnio (0000-0002-2384-2396, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin), Aneta Przepiórka (0000-0001-6722-7355, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin), Milena Chmielik (0000-0002-3063-5686, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin), Menachem Ben‐ezra (0000-0002-7890-2069, Ariel University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-14 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-19 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Death Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0748-1187 • E-ISSN: 1091-7683 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/07481187.2026.2690128 |
| PMID | 42317043 |
| OpenAlex | W7165208017 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 44 |
Centrality of loss reflects the extent to which the death of a loved one becomes a central reference point, shaping thoughts, emotions, identity, and daily activity. We developed the Centrality of Loss Scale (CLS) and tested its psychometric properties and incremental association with grief severity beyond bereavement context. A national sample of bereaved Polish adults (N = 886; 51.0% female) completed the CLS alongside measures of prolonged grief, general distress, and bereavement context. Analyses supported a refined 7-item unidimensional solution with high internal consistency. CLS scores correlated moderately with prolonged grief (PGD) and modestly with general distress. Factor analyses further supported the distinctiveness of CLS from PGD and depression. The CLS explained substantial incremental variance in grief severity beyond bereavement context variables (ΔR2 = .38; context ΔR2 = .10). The CLS indexes how loss becomes integrated into identity and daily life as a construct related to, but distinct from, PGD
Centrality · CLs upper limits · Context (archaeology) · Grief · Optimal distinctiveness theory · Psychometrics · Sample (material) · Scale (ratio) · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Identity, Memory, and Therapy · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
Continuing Bonds
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Loss, Grief, and the Search for Significance
The varieties of grief experience
Constructing validity
When a trauma becomes a key to identity
An Ultra-Brief Screening Scale for Anxiety and Depression
Treatment of Complicated Grief
Continuing bonds in adaptation to bereavement
The centrality of event scale
Validation of the new DSM‐5‐TR criteria for prolonged grief disorder and the PG‐13‐Revised ( PG‐13‐R ) scale
Bereavement theory
Prolonged grief disorder in ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR
The impact of continuing bonds following bereavement
The Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement
Developing a Cross-Cultural Model of Grief
Adaptation to Disability Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Continuing Bonds in Bereavement
Continuing Bonds, Risk Factors for Complicated Grief, and Adjustment to Bereavement
Continuing Bonds in Coping With the Death of a Husband
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |