Validating a short version of the Suicide Intent Scale in China

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Beck's Suicide Intent Scale (SIS) is increasingly used globally.
• Its cultural appropriateness in Chinese societies requires validation.
• Assessing suicide intent is crucial for prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the Chinese shortened version of the Suicide Intent Scale (C-SIS).
• To provide evidence for the optimal use of C-SIS in Chinese societies.
• To evaluate the reliability and validity of C-SIS for measuring suicide intent.

Main Methods:

• A psychological autopsy (PA) study involving 66 suicides in Dalian, China.
• Reliability testing, including internal consistency and inter-rater reliability.
• Validity testing, including criterion validity against the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and factor analysis.

Main Results:

• C-SIS demonstrated excellent internal consistency, with high item-total correlations.
• Significant inter-rater reliability was found between informants for C-SIS scores.
• A strong correlation was observed between C-SIS and HAM-D scores, supporting criterion validity.
• Factor analysis identified three factors explaining 66.77% of the variance.

Conclusions:

• The Chinese shortened version of the Suicide Intent Scale (C-SIS) is an appropriate instrument.
• C-SIS effectively detects and measures suicide intent in Chinese societies.
• The validated C-SIS can be utilized in clinical and research settings in China.