Investigation of the Psychometric Properties of the Greek Version of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ)

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years a strong interest has been developed in exploring spirituality and spiritual needs especially in patients suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Aim: The aim of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ). Material and Method: The study involved 110 patients from a hospital in the region of Athens with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy (inconvenience sample). The study was conducted the period February and March 2020. The scale SpNQ consists of 27 questions of the original version and of four dimensions (Religious Needs, Existential Needs, Needs for Inner Peace, Giving/Generativity Needs) and the overall score. Statistical tests were performed to check the internal reliability (Cronbach’s alpha), repeatability (test-retest reliability), convergent and divergent validity. The scale of quality of life SF-12 was used to measure convergent validity. The statistical program Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 25.0 was used while the level of statistical significance was set at p≤ 0,05. Results: The analysis showed that the five dimensions have good variability. The internal reliability of the questionnaire was satisfactory, with the total Cronbach’s alpha value being 0.937. Regarding convergent validity, significant correlations were identified between the overall score and the four dimensions while there were significant negative correlations with the mental dimension of quality of life. The test-retest reliability (Pearson’s r and t-test values) was excellent. Conclusions: The scale SpNQ is a reliable and valid tool for assessing spiritual needs, which can be used in the wider clinical area to assess the spiritual needs of variable groups of patients.