Validation of the Beck Hopelessness Scale in patients with suicide risk.

INTRODUCTION: Only a few scales have been validated in Spanish for the assessment of suicide risk, and none of them have achieved predictive validity.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the validity and reliability of the Beck Hopelessness Scale in patients with suicide risk attending the specialist clinic.

METHODS: The Beck Hopelessness Scale, reasons for living inventory, and the suicide behaviour questionnaire were applied in patients with suicide risk attending the psychiatric clinic and the emergency department. A new assessment was made 30 days later to determine the predictive validity of suicide or suicide attempt.

RESULTS: The evaluation included a total of 244 patients, with a mean age of 30.7±13.2 years, and the majority were women. The internal consistency was .9 (Kuder-Richardson formula 20). Four dimensions were found which accounted for 50% of the variance. It was positively correlated with the suicidal behaviour questionnaire (Spearman .48, P<.001), number of suicide attempts (Spearman .25, P<.001), severity of suicide risk (Spearman .23, P<.001). The correlation with the reasons for living inventory was negative (Spearman -.52, P<.001). With a cut-off ≥12, the negative predictive value was 98.4% (95% CI: 94.2-99.8), and the positive predictive value was 14.8% (95% CI: 6.6-27.1).

CONCLUSION: The Beck Hopelessness Scale in Colombian patients with suicidality shows results similar to the original version, with adequate reliability and moderate concurrent and predictive validity.