The Concise Health Risk Tracking - Self-Report (CHRT-SR)-A measure of suicidal risk: Performance in adolescent...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychometrics
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Suicidal behavior is a significant concern in adolescent populations.
• Accurate risk assessment tools are crucial for timely intervention.
• The Concise Health Risk Tracking Self-Report (CHRT-SR) is designed to evaluate suicidal behavior risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the CHRT-SR in a representative sample of adolescent outpatients.
• To identify an optimal brief version of the CHRT-SR scale.
• To assess the concurrent validity and change-over-time measurement capabilities of the optimized scale.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 657 adolescents (under 18) in primary or psychiatric care completed the 14-item CHRT-SR at baseline and 3-month follow-up.
• Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the optimal factor structure and test measurement invariance.
• Item response theory, classical test theory, and concurrent validity analyses were performed on the selected scale.

Main Results:

• Confirmatory factor analysis identified a 9-item version (CHRT-SR9) as the optimal solution.
• Both classical test theory and item response theory indicated an excellent fit for the CHRT-SR9.
• Concurrent validity analyses confirmed the CHRT-SR9's ability to measure changes in suicidality over time.

Conclusions:

• The CHRT-SR9 is a brief, psychometrically sound self-report measure for adolescents.
• The scale demonstrates sensitivity to changes in suicidality, making it valuable for tracking risk.
• Further research is warranted to explore its performance in diverse populations and predictive ability for future suicidal events.