Hope measurement questionnaire for family members of patients admitted to intensive care units

Since the concept of hope in the family members of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) is of particular importance and the role of this concept in the health of this group of people is evident, it seems that a valid and reliable scale for measuring this concept is necessary. The purpose of this study was to design a hope measurement questionnaire for family members of patients admitted to the ICU of Besat Hospital in Sanandaj, Iran.

The families of patients in the ICUs were selected using the convenience sampling method and completed the "Hope Questionnaire" along with demographic characteristics questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (criterion scale). The validity of the instrument was determined by construct validity and criterion validity and the reliability was evaluated through calculation of internal correlation coefficient and test-retest. Data were analyzed by factor analysis, correlation coefficients, and Cronbach's alpha.

The items having the most factor loading were named based on the nature and size of the variables from which the extracted factors had the most share. First factor, including 15 items alone, represented 14.867% of the total variance and was named "Optimistic Thinking towards the Future" and the second factor, representing 14.666% of the total variance, was named "Pessimistic Thinking towards the Future" which had 7 items. The correlation between the scores of Hope Scale and the BDI, which was performed for assessing the criterion validity of the scale (P < 0.01).

The Hope Scale helps researchers gauge the different dimensions of hope through a deeper understanding of this concept. The scale had high validity and reliability in all fields. Considering the simplicity of its application and implementation, it can be used in various researches in which hope is considered as one of the studied variables