Longitudinal measurement invariance of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation

Abstract

In mental health care, both clinical and scientific decisions are based on within-subject comparisons of test scores on the same self-report questionnaire at different points in time. To establish the validity of test score comparisons over time, longitudinal measurement invariance should be established. The current study tested whether the 19 item Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS) is measurement invariant (MI) over time. As the first five items of the scale are often used to screen for the presence of suicidal thoughts, we also tested a model consisting of only the first five items. Psychiatric in- and out-patients (n=475) completed the questionnaire upon admission and after 3 months. By means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) we tested whether the parameters of a single factor model were equal over time. All fit indices indicated that both the 19-item questionnaire and the five-item screener were measurement invariant over time. This means that changes in test-scores over time can be attributed to true changes in the construct of interest. These findings legitimate the use of the 19 item scale and the five-item screener in longitudinal assessments.

The Moderating Effect of Smoking Status on the Relation between Anxiety Sensitivity, Sexual Compulsivity, and Suicidality among People with HIV/AIDS

“…The psychometric properties of the BSS are well-established (de Beurs, Fokkema, de Groot, de Keijser, & Kerkhof, 2015) and the internal consistency of the scale in the current study was found to be good (α = .87).…”

Testing for response shift in treatment evaluation of change in self‐reported psychopathology amongst secondary psychiatric care outpatients

“…Five studies in different psychiatric populations, using self‐report and/or clinician‐report instruments, found response shift indications: Barbosa‐Leiker, McPherson, Mamey, Burns, and Roll (); Czobor and Volavka (); Elhai et al (); Fried et al (); Boucekine et al (). However, no response shift was found in the mental health studies by Quilty et al () with clinician‐rated scale and by de Beurs, Fokkema, de Groot, de Keijser, and Kerkhof () with self‐report scale.…”

Suicide Ideation Is Related to Therapeutic Alliance in a Brief Therapy for Attempted Suicide

“…Internal reliability, test-retest stability and validity for the BSS have been established (Brown, 2001;de Beurs, Fokkema, de Groot, de Keijser, & Kerkhof, 2015). The severity of suicidal ideation is calculated by summing the ratings of the first 19 items.…”