The suicide attitude vignette experience: A method for measuring adolescent attitudes toward suicide

Abstract

In spite of consistently increasing suicide statistics, little research exists that is designed to examine adolescent attitudes toward suicide. This study was designed to validate a new approach for measuring suicide attitudes among adolescents. The Suicide Attitude Vignette Experience (SAVE scale) consists of 10 vignettes which describe different situations leading to attempted suicide. The target figures described in the 10 vignettes are alternately male and female. There are two forms of the SA VE scale which include identical themes with the sex of the target figures reversed. The SAVE scale and several other instruments were administered to 198 twelfth-grade students. Factor analyses of the SAVE scale revealed three factors for both forms: sympathy, empathy, and agree. Significant correlations on Form A were found between the total sympathy scores and self-concept, depression, and death concern; between total empathy scores and death concern; and between total agree scores and depression and self-concept. On Form B significant correlations included only total agree scores with depression and self-concept. Sex differences were found for total sympathy with females scoring higher. Also, females sympathized, empathized, and agreed more with female target figures than with males, and more than males did with either female or male target figures. Test-retest reliability coefficients were significant. In addition, students who were high in death concern and religiosity agreed with suicidal actions significantly less often than did those who were low in death concern and religiosity. Overall this study found support for the validity and reliability of the SA VE scale.