Citation

Fountoulakis KN, Pantoula E, Siamouli M, Moutou K, Gonda X, Rihmer Z, Iacovides A, Akiskal HS. J. Affect. Disord. 2012; 138(3): 449-457.

Affiliation

3rd department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jad.2011.12.045

PMID

22301115

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Suicide and suicide attempts are significant and costly public health problems. In order to prevent suicidal and other self-injurious behaviors, research on the multiple factors involved in these behaviors with comprehensive and user-friendly instruments is necessary. The aim of the current study was to construct a self-report instrument with emphasis on items describing suicide-related behavior itself rather than strongly related clinical features on the basis of a general population study. METHODS: Twelve items comprising a new scale were applied to 734 subjects from the general population (40.6% males and 59.4% females) aged 40.8±11.5 along with the STAI and the CES-D. Results: The scoring method was developed on the basis of frequency table of responses to the individual scale items. The factor analysis returned 3 factors explaining 59.19% of total variance (Intention, Life, and History). The Cronbach's alpha was 0.85 for the Intention, 0.69 for the Life and 0.52 for the History subscale. LIMITATION: The findings need replication in clinical and epidemiologic studies. CONCLUSION: The RASS is a reliable and valid instrument which might prove valuable in the assessment of suicidal risk in the general population as well as in mental patients.

Language: en