OBJECTIVE: There has been an increasing interest in the measurement of patients efforts to find meaning during the experience of a life-threatening illness. The aim of this study was to validate the German version of the Life Attitude Profile-Revised (LAP-R), a multidimensional measure of meaning and purpose. METHODS: A total of 511 prostate cancer patients with an average age of 64 years filled in the questionnaire during outpatient follow up care (response rate 70%). RESULTS: Five of the original six dimensions were replicated by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis: Coherence, Existential Vacuum, Choice/Responsibleness, Death Acceptance, and Goal Seeking. The Purpose dimension was not replicated. Most LAP-R subscales showed good internal consistencies with Cronbach's alpha between .80 and .82, whereas the reliability for Existential Vacuum (alpha=.69) and Goal Seeking (alpha=.74) was less sufficient, but still acceptable. Results show significant concurrent associations between all LAP-R dimensions and measures of emotional distress, coping, and health-related quality of life; however, moderate correlations were found only for Existential Vacuum and depression, and inversely for depressive coping and the mental health subscale. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH: The German LAP-R is a reliable and valid instrument that can be recommended for further use in research and clinical cancer care.
