Citation

Lewinsohn PM, Langhinrichsen-Rohling J, Langford R, Rohde P, Seeley JR, Chapman J. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 1995; 25(4): 458-474.

Affiliation

Oregon Research Institute, Eugene 97403-1983, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8928201

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire to measure suicidal and other risk-taking behaviors, the Life Attitudes Schedule (LAS), and to test a theoretical model that postulates a single domain of behaviors to which all life-threatening and life-enhancing behaviors belong. The LAS was developed and piloted on 1539 high school students and young adults. The schedule measures four different content categories: death related, health related, injury related, and self-related. Each content category includes an equal number of items designed to assess actions, thoughts, and feelings. Consistent with the theoretical model, the LAS includes positive (life-enhancing) and negative (life-threatening) behaviors. In this paper we present psychometric information for the LAS. The results are interpreted as providing support for a broad, bipolar conceptualization of suicidal and other risk-taking behavior that encompasses life-threatening and life-enhancing behaviors.