Factor Structure and Validity of the Suicide Behavior Assessment Scale in Female High School Students in Kerman City in 2021: A Descriptive Study

Validating the suicide behavior scale can provide a better assessment of the quality and nature of behavior. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the factor structure and validity of the Suicide Behavior Assessment Scale in female high school students in Kerman City in 2021.

In this descriptive study, statistical population included all female high school students in Kerman city in 2021. A sample size of 682 was selected using cluster random sampling method. Data were collected through two suicide behavior assessment scales and the Cull and Gill’s Suicide Probability Scale. Content validity, convergent validity, structural validity, and internal consistency methods were used to examine the validity and reliability of the scale.

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Suicide Behavior Assessment Scale consists of three factors that explain 62.88% of the variance of suicide behavior. The content validity ratio and content validity index were acceptable for all questions. This questionnaire, along with the Cull and Gill’s Suicide Probability Scale, with 16 items, had appropriate concurrent validity (p<0.001). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the entire scale was 0.84 and for subscales ranged from 0.87 to 0.95.

The 16-item Suicide Behavior Assessment Scale has appropriate reliability and validity for female high school students. Therefore, this scale can be used to evaluate the status of suicide behavior in female high school students.