Validity, Reliability, and Factor Structure of the Suicide Crisis Scale in Turkish

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The Suicide Crisis Inventory (SCI) is a tool for assessing acute suicide risk.
• Adapting and validating psychological instruments for specific cultural contexts is crucial for accurate assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt the Suicide Crisis Inventory (SCI) for the Turkish population.
• To examine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the SCI in a non-clinical sample.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 300 university students (aged 18-24) evaluated online.
• The Socio-demographic and Clinical Data Form, SCI, and Suicide Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ) were used.
• Validity was assessed through criterion, discriminative, and factor analyses; reliability via internal consistency and item-total correlations.

Main Results:

• The SCI explained 41% of the variance in SBQ scores (r=0.637, r²=0.406), demonstrating significant predictive validity.
• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, with some items removed for optimal factor structure.
• High internal consistency was found, with Cronbach's alpha = 0.981 after item removal.

Conclusions:

• The adapted SCI is a valid and reliable tool for assessing short-term suicide risk in the Turkish population.
• The SCI can be effectively utilized in clinical and research settings within Turkey for suicide risk evaluation.