Health loss-related grief among sick-listed employees: development and validation of the health impairment grief scale

PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop and validate the Health Impairment Grief Scale (HIGS) to assess grief reactions among sick-listed employees experiencing health loss, thereby increasing understanding of their emotional experiences during sickness absence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 10-item HIGS was developed with input from academic experts in grief and labor, occupational health professionals, and sick-listed employees. Psychometric evaluation of the HIGS was conducted using data from 226 sick-listed employees. Participants were mostly women (81%), highly educated (52%), were on average 49.3 years old, and have been sick-listed for 90.3 weeks.

RESULTS: The HIGS demonstrated a unidimensional structure, robust internal consistency, and temporal stability. Additionally, its items showed clear differentiation from symptoms of depression and anxiety, and exhibited solid convergent validity. These findings indicate that individuals can experience grief due to health problems.

CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies health loss-related grief as a distinct psychological phenomenon among sick-listed employees. The association between health loss-related grief and pre-job loss grief suggests that employees may face interconnected emotional challenges during return-to-work. The HIGS provides rehabilitation professionals with a valid tool to identify grief reactions in return-to-work assessments, enabling recognition of employees who may require support that addresses both health-related and anticipated work-related losses.