Citation

Spangenberg L, Glaesmer H, Hallensleben N, Schönfelder A, Rath D, Forkmann T, Teismann T. Psychiatry Res. 2019; 274: 254-262.

Affiliation

Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.psychres.2019.02.047

PMID

30822742

Abstract

The present study aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties of German Suicide Cognitions Scale (SCS-18/SCS-9) in two clinical samples. Validity and reliability were established in an outpatient- (n = 277) and in an inpatient sample (n = 75). Statistical analyses included confirmatory factor analyses, correlation analyses, between-group comparison by history of lifetime suicide attempts, and regression analyses. The three-factor model showed good model fit for the long version of the SCS (SCS-18). For the short version of the SCS (SCS-9), a bifactor model yielded the best fit. Overall, the total scale of the SCS-18 and the SCS-9 and the subscales of the SCS-18 showed satisfactory internal consistency, as well as good convergent validity. The SCS-18 subscales and the SCS-9 demonstrated clinical utility by differentiating between participants with prior and without prior suicide attempts. The SCS (subscale unsolvability and SCS-9 score) predicted current suicide ideation as well as suicide ideation 7-10 days later - even after controlling for established risk-factors (e.g., depression, hopelessness, interpersonal variables).

RESULTS suggest that the SCS-18 and the SCS-9 are reliable and valid measures to assess suicidal cognitions that can be used in clinical as well as in research settings.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Language: en

Keywords

Assessment; Dimensionality; Suicidal ideation; Suicide; Suicide cognitions scale