Resource Tag: RATING SCALES

First-time psychiatric outpatients in Hong Kong responded to the Geriatric Depression Scale (4-, 5-, & 15-item versions). The performance of the scales was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves. Analyses were conducted separately for young-old (60-74 years) & old-old (aged 75 & older) adults. Both the 4- & the 5-item versions were found to be […]

This study measured hopelessness & hopefulness in Pakistani adolescents. Translated versions (into Urdu) of the Beck Hopelessness Scale & the Life Orientation Test were administered to 723 adolescents & young adults. For the Urdu Beck Hopelessness Scale, all item-total correlation coefficients were significant & yielded a single component. The principal component analysis on the Urdu […]

The cultural validity of the College Student Reasons for Living Inventory was examined with a sample of 314 Asian American college students. Although results did not completely replicate the 6-factor structure as identified by Westefeld et al (1992), partial support was found. The content of the 5 factors that emerged corresponded to 5 of the […]

This chapter provides a background & framework for developing a proper approach to evaluating the suicide risk potential of police officers. It reviews a number of the risk factors & instruments that might aid such an evaluation, including both multimeasure psychopathology inventories & single-scale tests. A few case examples presented typify some of the complex […]

The disinclination to discuss suicide is compounded in the law enforcement community where officers are expected “to suck it up” & not admit to problems. The literature is replete with examples of situations where an officer most likely died by suicide but the death was classified as accidental. In addition, careful perusal of officers’ deaths […]

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This study examined the validity of the Collet-Lester Fear of Death Scale & compared death anxiety, suicide ideation, & satisfaction in life in male & female students at Ahwaz Islamic Azad University (Iran). The research samples consisted of 200 students for the scale validity testing & 400 students for the hypothesis testing. Results showed acceptable […]

This study sought to create an adult version of the Subject Experience of Problem Irresolvability instrument created by Orbach & colleagues, 1999. An additional objective was to examine the relationship between the suicide attempters’ experience of certain previously researched interpersonal dynamics & lethality of suicide attempts. 83 participants comprised the study group. An independent samples […]

The Sheehan Suicidality Tracking Scale was incorporated into a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, & active comparator study examining the efficacy of an experimental corticotropin-releasing factor antagonist for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. The scale was administered at baseline, Week 2, Week 4, & Week 8 or at early termination. A total of 82 female […]

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This presentation reported on the use of the Visual Analogue Scale in measuring the wish to live & the wish to die components of patients who had attempted suicide. The results were compared with those obtained by the validated Suicide Intent Scale. The scale was administered to 36 women, aged 18-30 years. Results suggested, in […]

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The authors investigated the psychometric validity & reliability of the Suicide Status Form-II (1997). Participants were 149 psychiatric inpatients at the Mayo Clinic; 108 were suicidal. Each participant completed assessment measures within 24 hours of admission & 48-72 hours later. Factor analyses of the core assessment produced a robust two-factor solution reflecting chronic & acute […]

This article details the construction & psychometric evaluation of a scale of psychache. 2 studies were conducted with 505 undergraduates. Analyses indicated the scale of psychache had strong internal consistency reliability, criterion validity for indicating various suicide criteria, & incremental validity, relative to other established psychological antecedents of suicide measures, for statistically predicting status on […]

Psychometric properties & correlates of the German form of Lester & Bean’s 1992 Attribution of Causes to Ssuicide Scale were investigated in a sample of 156 Austrians. The three attributional dimensions presented moderate internal consistencies & the 18 items appeared to be factorially orderly, as indicated by exploratory factor analysis. Previous results were replicated, with […]

As no scale for assessing beliefs in the inheritance of risk factors for suicide is available, a 22-item scale was constructed, its contents rated by experts in a validation survey & administered to samples of 70 medical & 165 psychology students in Austria. Medical students held stronger beliefs in the genetics of suicide than psychology […]

This study evaluated the factor structure, reliability, & validity of the Positive & Negative Suicide Ideation inventory (PANSI) in sample of high-school youths. 217 youth completed the inventory & other self-report instruments. Results of the confirmatory factor analyses supported adequate fit of the 2-factor oblique model to the sample data. Both factor scales attained adequate […]

The development of the Suicidal Behaviors Interview, a semistructured clinical interview measure of suicidal behaviors for use with adolescents, is described. Subjects were 352 adolescents, ages 12-19 years. Results show high internal consistency & interrater reliability, & significant correlations with self-report measures of depression & suicide ideation. Factor analysis of scale items resulted in a […]

A study was conducted to detect suicide risk in patients seeking treatment in an emergency department as well as to continue testing the reliability & validity of the 4-item Risk of Suicide Questionnaire developed by Horowitz & colleagues. Emergency department staff nurses administered the questionnaire to a convenience sample of 202 patients. Psychometric analysis demonstrated […]

In this editorial, the author notes that suicide risk assessment is a core competency that identifies, prioritizes, & integrates suicide risk & protective factors into an overall assessment of the patient’s suicide risk. The purpose is to inform patient treatment & management, something assessment forms & checklists alone cannot do. He asserts clinicians must do […]