Psychometric evaluation of the Danish Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale in a sample of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors
T. A. Stripp, N. Hvidt
medRxiv November 19, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2025.11.18.25340402 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 226 |
| Population | Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors identified through the Danish Cardiac Arrest Register (2016-2020) who reported memories from their cardiac arrest |
| Measures | Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale, Cronbach's alpha, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key findings | The Danish NDE-C scale showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92) and satisfactory factor loadings and discriminant validity, while confirmatory factor analysis supported the five-factor structure conceptually but produced mixed global fit indices (CFI = 0.858; TLI = 0.831; RMSEA = 0.093; SRMR = 0.062). The authors conclude it shows promise for assessing near-death experience content in Danish contexts but requires further validation in larger, more diverse samples. |
Abstract
Background: Near-death experiences (NDEs) are profound phenomena reported after life-threatening events such as cardiac arrest. The Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale was developed to improve psychometric assessment of NDE phenomenology, but no validated Danish version exists.
Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Danish NDE-C scale among out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among OHCA survivors identified through the Danish Cardiac Arrest Register (2016-2020). Participants reporting memories from their cardiac arrest completed the 20-item Danish NDE-C. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tested the original five-factor structure.
Results: Of 2,262 invited survivors, 855 responded (37.8%), and 738 were included in analyses; 226 completed the NDE-C. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92). CFA supported the five-factor structure conceptually, but global fit indices were mixed (CFI = 0.858; TLI = 0.831; RMSEA = 0.093; SRMR = 0.062). Factor loadings and discriminant validity were satisfactory.
Conclusions: The Danish NDE-C scale shows strong internal consistency and broadly acceptable factor structure, indicating promise as a tool for assessing NDE content in Danish clinical and research contexts. Further validation in larger and more diverse samples is necessary.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fantasy Proneness Correlates With the Intensity of Near-Death Experience Individuals who have experienced a near-death experience (classical or NDE-like) and... | 2018 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 228 |
| A systematic analysis of distressing near-death experience accounts Individuals who had a near-death experience and wrote down their account | 2019 | Cross-sectional study | n = 123 |
| Reduced death threat in near-death experiencers Adults who had near-death experiences, came close to death without NDE, or never came... | 1992 | Cross-sectional study | n = 290 |
| Near-Death Experiences in a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic Population Psychiatric outpatients | 2003 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 832 |
| Near-Death States Reported in a Sample of 50 Misusers Previous ketamine misusers who reported a ketamine-related near-death experience | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 50 |
Citations in the library
Cites 9
- The Near-Death Experience Scale The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease June 1, 1983
- A typology of near-death experiences American Journal of Psychiatry August 1, 1985
- The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences 2009
- The Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale: Development and psychometric validation Consciousness and Cognition November 1, 2020
- Guidelines and standards for the study of death and recalled experiences of death––a multidisciplinary consensus statement and proposed future directions Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences February 18, 2022
and 4 more in the library