The Self-Hate Scale: Development and validation of a brief measure and its relationship to suicidal ideation

The "self" has been implicated in the development of a range of psychological disorders. While a growing body of literature has emerged exploring the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS), little research has been conducted on the construct of self-hate and its relationship with suicidal ideation. The aims of this study were to: 1) develop and validate a brief self-report instrument of self-hate; and, 2) explore the relationship between self-hate, suicidal ideation, and the two main factors of the IPTS, perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness.

Initial development of the item pool involved an expert panel and the development of the Self-Hate Scale included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using a large community sample.

A 7-item Self-Hate Scale was developed, which exhibited a reliable unidimensional factor structure. High self-hate was found to predict suicidal ideation, while the relationship between low/moderate self-hate and suicidal ideation was partially moderated by the level of thwarted belongingness. The study provided limited evidence for the IPTS' main predictions.

While the current study provided support for the psychometric properties of the Self-Hate Scale, the scale will need to be replicated and validated using clinical populations.

The Self-Hate Scale is a brief, psychometrically valid measure of self-hate that has the potential to be useful in suicide risk assessment.