Validation of a 9-item Perceived Suicide Awareness Scale (PSAS-9) for adolescents.
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BORIS DOI
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
38387669
Description
BACKGROUND
Robust empirical data on suicide awareness are needed, to better plan and evaluate suicide prevention interventions. However, there is a lack of validated measures of suicide awareness. This is especially true for perceived suicide awareness, which focuses on perceived knowledge about suicide, willingness, and confidence to talk about suicide and get help. Using the theoretical framework of Social Cognitive Theory, this study aimed to validate a measure of perceived suicide awareness.
METHODS
We re-used data from a suicide prevention trial conducted in Swiss secondary schools (n = 366). Baseline and one-month follow-up data were used to validate the scale. The main measure was an initial 14-item perceived suicide awareness scale (PSAS). Perceived knowledge of help-seeking resources, suicide-related knowledge, and support networks were used to assess convergent validity.
RESULTS
A nine-item version, the PSAS-9, showed satisfactory psychometric properties, including high internal consistency (α = 0.78), acceptable test-retest (r = 0.68), and a one-factor structure explaining 95 % of the variance. The convergent validity was acceptable (0.19 ≤ r ≤ 0.40). The PSAS-9 was not correlated with suicide-related knowledge (r = 0.02).
LIMITATIONS
The study missed a similar construct to properly assess convergent validity and had a modest sample size. In addition, it only included secondary school adolescents, so further research in other samples of youths is needed to robustly validate the PSAS-9.
CONCLUSIONS
This study was an important step towards validating a perceived suicide awareness scale, which appears as a new dimension of suicidality, distinct from suicide-related knowledge. The PSAS-9 could be used to develop, evaluate, and improve suicide prevention efforts.
Robust empirical data on suicide awareness are needed, to better plan and evaluate suicide prevention interventions. However, there is a lack of validated measures of suicide awareness. This is especially true for perceived suicide awareness, which focuses on perceived knowledge about suicide, willingness, and confidence to talk about suicide and get help. Using the theoretical framework of Social Cognitive Theory, this study aimed to validate a measure of perceived suicide awareness.
METHODS
We re-used data from a suicide prevention trial conducted in Swiss secondary schools (n = 366). Baseline and one-month follow-up data were used to validate the scale. The main measure was an initial 14-item perceived suicide awareness scale (PSAS). Perceived knowledge of help-seeking resources, suicide-related knowledge, and support networks were used to assess convergent validity.
RESULTS
A nine-item version, the PSAS-9, showed satisfactory psychometric properties, including high internal consistency (α = 0.78), acceptable test-retest (r = 0.68), and a one-factor structure explaining 95 % of the variance. The convergent validity was acceptable (0.19 ≤ r ≤ 0.40). The PSAS-9 was not correlated with suicide-related knowledge (r = 0.02).
LIMITATIONS
The study missed a similar construct to properly assess convergent validity and had a modest sample size. In addition, it only included secondary school adolescents, so further research in other samples of youths is needed to robustly validate the PSAS-9.
CONCLUSIONS
This study was an important step towards validating a perceived suicide awareness scale, which appears as a new dimension of suicidality, distinct from suicide-related knowledge. The PSAS-9 could be used to develop, evaluate, and improve suicide prevention efforts.
Date of Publication
2024-05-01
Publication Type
Article
Keyword(s)
Adolescents Mental health Primary prevention Psychometrics Suicide Suicide awareness
Language(s)
en
Contributor(s)
Nsingi, Neslie | |
Iglesias, Katia | |
Sapin, Marlène |
Additional Credits
Series
Journal of Affective Disorders
Publisher
Elsevier
ISSN
0165-0327
Access(Rights)
open.access