Evaluation of Suicide Risk Assessment Measures in an Israel Defense Forces Military Sample

ABSTRACT

The present study evaluates the psychometric properties of 4 commonly used measures of suicidal ideation and behaviors (Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation [BSS], Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale [C-SSRS], Self-Harm Behavior Questionnaire [SHBQ], and Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire—Revised [SBQ–R]) among a sample of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers. Measures were translated to Hebrew and completed by 65 active duty IDF soldiers who were recently hospitalized for at least 24 hours following a suicide attempt. Internal consistency and Pearson's r correlation analyses were conducted for all measures to test the reliability and validity of the measures. Findings support the reliability and validity of common suicide risk assessment measures among a sample of IDF soldiers. Instruments demonstrated acceptable-to-excellent internal consistency (αs = .72 to .93), save for the SBQ–R (α = .57). Further, all measures demonstrated associations as expected, suggesting convergent and divergent validity. The BSS, C-SSRS, and SHBQ can be reliably and validly used among IDF soldiers.

KEYWORDS:

• Suicide
• assessment
• soldier
• suicidal ideation
• mental health behavioral symptoms

Additional information

Funding

This work was in part supported by the Military Suicide Research Consortium (MSRC), an effort supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs under Award Nos. (W81XWH-10-2-0178 and W81XWH-10-2-0181). Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the MSRC or the Department of Defense.