title: A systematic review of scales that measure attitudes toward suicide.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies on attitudes toward suicide are of great interest to researchers worldwide. Although various instruments have been developed to measure attitudes toward suicide, psychometric properties of these instruments have not been systematically reviewed and organized.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to identify valid, reliable and feasible attitudinal scales by systematically reviewing published articles on scale development and validation studies. In particular, this study focused on scales used for a wide range of populations to measure multidimensional attitudes toward suicide and related issues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic searches of two databases, PubMed and PsychInfo, were performed. Scales with unique names were identified and listed after reviewing selected publications, and then evaluated for psychometric properties, multidimensionality and appropriateness for a wide range of populations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2,210 publications were identified by the first electronic search. In the final review process of the selected publications, three scales - the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ), Suicide Attitude Questionnaire (SUIATT) and Attitudes Toward Suicide (ATTS) - were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Each of these scales has its own characteristics and should be used in accordance with research purposes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychogeriatrics, National Institute of Mental Health, National Centre of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan. mkodaka@ncnp.go.jp
authors.forename: Manami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kodaka
authors.forename: Vita
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Postuvan
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.forename: Mitsuhiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D006801:Humans; D011594:Psychometrics; D011639:Public Opinion; D013405:Suicide; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards