[Development of the Risk Assessment Suicidality Scale (RASS): a population-based study]

Suicide and suicide attempts are significant and costly public health problems. In order to prevent suicidal and other self-injurious behavior, 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 the items which describe suicide-related behavior itself rather than strongly related clinical features on the basis of a general population study. 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. 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. 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.