The religious faith item of the Spanish Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and its Short Form (PTGI-SF): challenges and solutions

Abstract

Background: The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and its Short Form (PTGI-SF) are two instruments highly used in research on posttraumatic growth. They include a religious growth item that has been demonstrated to be problematic in cultures that are not very religious. Previous research has addressed this issue in other countries, but no attention has been paid to this critical problem in Spanish samples. Objective: Our aim is to address the psychometric issues presented by the religious growth item in Spain. Method: To do so, we reviewed several studies conducted with various populations in Spain. Results: The scores of the religious growth item in Spain present very low means and standard deviations, as well as high skewness and kurtosis, all of which point to a floor effect. The item scores show low item-test correlations, and it has failed to load on a specific dimension in factor analyses, thus casting doubts about its validity. Conclusions: The inventory does not seem to work properly in its current form in Spain. The inappropriateness of the item measuring religious growth in Spain may be due to cultural reasons. We recommend using the PTGI expanded version (PTGI-X) instead of the PTGI and exploring the possible substitution of the religious growth item in the PTGI-SF for an alternative item. In both cases, ascertaining the psychometric properties of the scores in Spain will be necessary.