The development and initial validation of the geriatric suicide ideation scale.
OBJECTIVE
The authors report on the development and initial validation of the Geriatric Suicide Ideation Scale (GSIS), a new multidimensional measure of suicide ideation and related factors in older adults.


METHODS
Study 1 involved development of an initial 66-item measure, administration to a heterogeneous sample of 172 adults 65 years or older, assessment of the measure's factor structure, and subsequent scale reduction and correlation with social desirability. Study 2 involved validation of the reduced scale with a new sample of 107 older adults and psychometric assessment of the measure's reliability and initial validity.


RESULTS
Factor analysis indicated a four-factor structure for the GSIS, with subscales assessing Suicide Ideation, Death Ideation, Loss of Personal and Social Worth, and Perceived Meaning in Life. Psychometric analyses with a new sample indicated strong internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Construct and criterion validity for the GSIS and its subscales were demonstrated by positive associations with measures of depression, hopelessness, and self-reported health problems, and negative associations with life satisfaction and psychological well-being. The 10-item Suicide Ideation subscale also differentiated psychiatric patients from nonpatients.


CONCLUSIONS
The GSIS is a psychometrically sound measure of late-life suicide ideation. Findings support the use of its subscales as standalone measures of late-life suicide risk and psychological resilience.
Heisel
Marnin J
MJ
Departments of Psychiatry and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The University of Western Ontario, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada. Marnin.Heisel@lhsc.on.ca
Flett
Gordon L
GL
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000592:standards; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires