Cross-Sectional Psychometric Comparison of the Fearlessness About Suicide and Fearlessness About Death Scales

The fearlessness about suicide scale (FSS) was developed in response to evidence suggesting fearlessness about suicide is more relevant to the capability for suicide than fearlessness about death. To extend its psychometric validation, this study provides a cross-sectional comparison of the FSS and the acquired capability for suicide-fearlessness about death (FAD) scale.

Pearson correlations and regression analyses examined associations between both scales with suicidal ideation (SI), pain tolerance, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and eating disorder symptoms in 1233 undergraduates.

In the full sample, the FSS was positively associated with SI, general pain tolerance, NSSI, restriction, purging, and muscle building, but negatively with NSSI pain tolerance. The FAD was positively associated with SI, general pain tolerance, anti-suicide and sensation-seeking NSSI functions, and muscle building, but negatively with NSSI, binge eating, and eating disorder cognitive symptoms. Differential patterns of associations emerged across individuals with and without recent SI.

The FSS appears more strongly associated with painful and frightening experiences hypothesized to contribute to the capability for suicide, whereas the FAD is associated with traits and behaviors associated with unintentional bodily harm. Longitudinal research is needed to examine the FSS's predictive ability for future self-injurious thoughts and behaviors.