The German version of the Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) for people with advanced dementia living in nursing homes
Abstract Background The Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) has been explicitly recommended to assess suffering in dementia patients. This study aimed to develop a German version of the MSSE and assess its psychometric properties involving people with advanced dementia (PAD) in a nursing home se...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Geriatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03268-0 |
| _version_ | 1817969667357016064 |
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| author | Naomi Zumstein Keiko Yamada Stefanie Eicher Nathan Theill Heike Geschwindner Henrike Wolf Florian Riese |
| author_facet | Naomi Zumstein Keiko Yamada Stefanie Eicher Nathan Theill Heike Geschwindner Henrike Wolf Florian Riese |
| author_sort | Naomi Zumstein |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) has been explicitly recommended to assess suffering in dementia patients. This study aimed to develop a German version of the MSSE and assess its psychometric properties involving people with advanced dementia (PAD) in a nursing home setting. Methods The MSSE was translated into German, and 95 primary nurses administered it cross-sectionally to 124 PAD in Zurich, Switzerland. The psychometric properties of the German MSSE version were calculated for this population. Results The mean age of the PAD was 83.3 years (SD = 9.1, range = 55–102 years), and 98 of them (79.0%) were women. The Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 coefficient for the entire scale (0.58), the eight items relating to objective health conditions (0.39), and the professional and family estimation of the patient’s suffering (0.64) indicated low internal consistency. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated an unsatisfactory fit to a one-factor structure, with a comparative fit index and root mean square error of approximation of 0.71 and 0.08, respectively, and a Tucker–Lewis index of 0.64. The MSSE total score was significantly but moderately correlated with the total scores of the Symptom Management–End-of-Life with Dementia (SM-EOLD) scale (Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) = -0.44; p < 0.05), the physical suffering scores (r = 0.41; p < 0.05), and the psychological suffering scores (r = 0.55; p < 0.05). Conclusions The German version of the MSSE questionnaire did not perform well in the nursing home setting involving PAD. The instrument had low internal consistency, doubtful validity, and could not discriminate between suffering and other distressing symptoms. We do not recommend its use in this population. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T20:24:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a7a250b4b303473088f965e0a40f9e1c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2318 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T20:24:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Geriatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-a7a250b4b303473088f965e0a40f9e1c2022-12-22T02:31:26ZengBMCBMC Geriatrics1471-23182022-07-0122111210.1186/s12877-022-03268-0The German version of the Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) for people with advanced dementia living in nursing homesNaomi Zumstein0Keiko Yamada1Stefanie Eicher2Nathan Theill3Heike Geschwindner4Henrike Wolf5Florian Riese6University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of ZurichDepartment of Psychology, McGill UniversityUniversity Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of ZurichUniversity Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of ZurichCity of Zurich Nursing HomesPsychiatrische Dienste Graubünden, Ambulatory Psychiatric ServicesUniversity Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of ZurichAbstract Background The Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) has been explicitly recommended to assess suffering in dementia patients. This study aimed to develop a German version of the MSSE and assess its psychometric properties involving people with advanced dementia (PAD) in a nursing home setting. Methods The MSSE was translated into German, and 95 primary nurses administered it cross-sectionally to 124 PAD in Zurich, Switzerland. The psychometric properties of the German MSSE version were calculated for this population. Results The mean age of the PAD was 83.3 years (SD = 9.1, range = 55–102 years), and 98 of them (79.0%) were women. The Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 coefficient for the entire scale (0.58), the eight items relating to objective health conditions (0.39), and the professional and family estimation of the patient’s suffering (0.64) indicated low internal consistency. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated an unsatisfactory fit to a one-factor structure, with a comparative fit index and root mean square error of approximation of 0.71 and 0.08, respectively, and a Tucker–Lewis index of 0.64. The MSSE total score was significantly but moderately correlated with the total scores of the Symptom Management–End-of-Life with Dementia (SM-EOLD) scale (Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) = -0.44; p < 0.05), the physical suffering scores (r = 0.41; p < 0.05), and the psychological suffering scores (r = 0.55; p < 0.05). Conclusions The German version of the MSSE questionnaire did not perform well in the nursing home setting involving PAD. The instrument had low internal consistency, doubtful validity, and could not discriminate between suffering and other distressing symptoms. We do not recommend its use in this population.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03268-0Advanced dementiaEnd-of-life careMini Suffering State Examination (MSSE)Palliative careSufferingValidation |
| spellingShingle | Naomi Zumstein Keiko Yamada Stefanie Eicher Nathan Theill Heike Geschwindner Henrike Wolf Florian Riese The German version of the Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) for people with advanced dementia living in nursing homes BMC Geriatrics Advanced dementia End-of-life care Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) Palliative care Suffering Validation |
| title | The German version of the Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) for people with advanced dementia living in nursing homes |
| title_full | The German version of the Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) for people with advanced dementia living in nursing homes |
| title_fullStr | The German version of the Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) for people with advanced dementia living in nursing homes |
| title_full_unstemmed | The German version of the Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) for people with advanced dementia living in nursing homes |
| title_short | The German version of the Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) for people with advanced dementia living in nursing homes |
| title_sort | german version of the mini suffering state examination msse for people with advanced dementia living in nursing homes |
| topic | Advanced dementia End-of-life care Mini Suffering State Examination (MSSE) Palliative care Suffering Validation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03268-0 |
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