Validation of the German capability for suicide questionnaire (GCSQ) in a high-risk sample of suicidal inpatients

Abstract

Background: The German Capability for Suicide Questionnaire (GCSQ) was developed to measure fearlessness of death and pain tolerancetwo constructs central to the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. Initial scale development, definition of the factor structure and confirmation of the two-dimensional factor structure was performed in samples suffering from relatively low levels of suicide ideation/behavior. The present study aimed to validate the German Capability for Suicide Questionnaire (GCSQ) in a high-risk sample of suicidal inpatients. Methods: Factor structure, reliability and validity were investigated in a sample of inpatients (N = 296; 53.0% female; age in years: M = 36.81, SD = 14.27) admitted to a hospital due to a recent suicide attempt or an acute suicidal crisis (in immediate need of inpatient treatment). To establish convergent validity, interview-based assessments of lifetime suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-injury as well as questionnaire-based assessments of painful and provocative events were used. Finally, stability of GCSQ-scores over a follow-up period of 12 months was assessed. Results: Results indicated good psychometric properties, and provided additional evidence for construct validity and stability of the subscales over a one-year period, and demonstrated adequate fit of the data with respect to the original factor structure. Conclusions: Results suggest that the GCSQ is a brief, reliable, and valid measure of capability for suicide that can be used in clinic assessment and research.

Don't Miss the Moment: A Systematic Review of Ecological Momentary Assessment in Suicide Research

“…correlated highly with the BSSI (r = 0.71) and moderately with the Beck Depression Inventory [BDI (95)] [r = 0.41 (71)]. Variability in momentary SI correlated moderately with the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire -Revised [SBQ-R ( 96)] (r = 0.41), the BSSI (r = 0.49), and the Capability for Suicide Questionnaire [GCSQ (97)] (r = 0.30) (63).…”

Suicide Attempt Self-Injury Interview (SASII): Initiale Validierung einer deutschen Version

“…Eine Zustimmung zu den Aussagen erfolgt über eine 5-stufige Likert-Skala (1 = "stimme voll zu" bis 5 = "stimme gar nicht zu"). Psychometrische Untersuchungen des GCSQ berichten mittlere bis hohe interne Konsistenz (α = 0,73-0,90; ω = 0,70-0,88) und eine hohe Kriteriumsvalidität der Subskala Schmerztoleranz [Wachtel et al, 2014;Cwik et al, 2020]. In der vorliegenden Studie zeigten sich interne Konsistenzen von α = 0,87 (Furchtlosigkeit vor dem Tod) und α = 0,73 (Schmerztoleranz).…”