A Preliminary Validation of the Suicidal Behavior Exposure Scale.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Suicide contagion research indicates exposure to suicidal behaviors elevates personal suicide risk.
• Understanding the role of suicidal exposure in suicide risk development is limited.
• A validated measure for assessing exposure to suicidal behavior is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a comprehensive self-report instrument for measuring exposure to suicidal behaviors.
• To address the gap in understanding the impact of suicidal exposure on suicide risk.

Main Methods:

• Utilized two independent convenience samples of undergraduate students.
• Employed exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) for measure development and validation.

Main Results:

• A three-factor model of suicidal exposure was supported: communication, direct exposure, and indirect exposure.
• Each factor showed positive associations with depressive symptoms, PTSD symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt history, indicating convergent validity.
• The instrument demonstrated generally acceptable internal consistency.

Conclusions:

• The developed instrument facilitates research on suicidal exposure.
• Further validation across diverse demographics and clinical samples is recommended to enhance assessment and understanding of suicide risk.