The Spanish Reasons for Living Inventory (SRFL-I): Factor Structure and Association with Suicide Risk Among Spanish Speaking Hispanics

Abstract

The present study examined the factor structure of a Spanish-translated version of the Reasons for Living Inventory (SRFL-I; Oquendo, Baca-Garcia, Graver et al., 2000). Participants (N = 168) were from a combined sample of bilingual undergraduate students and monolingual Spanish speaking outpatients at a community health center. Factor analytic results yielded a seven factor structure: Survival Beliefs, Suicide Appraisal, Problem Solving Beliefs, Family Related Concerns, Suicide Self-Efficacy, Moral Objections, and Fear of Suicide. The SRFL-I subscales displayed high internal consistencies, as well as appropriate convergent and divergent associations with depression and suicide indicators. As expected, subscales (Problem Solving Beliefs, Moral Objections, Survival Beliefs, and Suicide Self-Efficacy) from the SRFL-I displayed direct and moderating effects on suicide risk indicators. Results are discussed with respect to how culturally specific beliefs among Hispanics are reflected using the SRFL-I.

Keywords:

• depression
• factor structure
• reasons for living
• Spanish
• suicide

Acknowledgments

We thank the staff and patients at Northwest Community Health Center and the Harris County Hospital District (HCHD) without whom this project would not have been possible. We thank the students at the University of Houston and research assistants, Yanell Lopez and Patrice Faulkner who assisted with this project. Lastly, we thank Jeremy Pettit, PhD, who greatly assisted with the facilitation of this project.

Notes

Note. BDI-II = Beck Depression Inventory-2nd Edition; MSSI = Modified Scale for Suicidal Ideation; SBQR = Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised.

*p ≤ .05, **p ≤ .01, ***p ≤ .001.

Note. BDI-II = Beck Depression Inventory-2nd Edition, MSSI = Modified Scale for Suicidal Ideation, SBQR = Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised, SB = Survival Beliefs, SA = Suicide Appraisal, PSB = Problem Solving Beliefs, FRC = Family Related Concerns, SSE = Suicide Self-Efficacy, MO = Moral Objections, FS = Fear of Suicide.

Note. Bold Print = Significant Predictor Variable;  = Partial Eta Squared Value (reported for significant predictors only).

*p ≤ .05; **p ≤ .01; ***p ≤ .001.

^a F(17, 150) = 5.66, p < .001, R² = .39.

^b F(17, 150) = 11.66, p < .001, R² = .57.