title: The Development and the Structure of the Verbal Suicide Scale (VSS) - Measuring Attitudes Toward Suicide in the Group of Patients Hospitalized in the Psychiatric Unit.
abstract: The assessment of suicidal risk is one of the most difficult diagnostic challenges. The aim of present article is to report the process of development and preliminary validation of the Verbal Suicide Scale.
  
  
  
  A total of 121 psychiatric inpatients aged 19-67 anonymously completed Verbal Suicide Scale (VSS). The study took place in the Clinic of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw in Mazovia Specialist Health Center in Pruszków, Poland.
  
  
  
  Factor analysis validated the three factor structure. Cronbach's alpha reliability for each factor was satisfactory: 0.876 for scale 1, 0.700 for scale 2 and 0.710 for scale 3.
  
  
  
  VSS is a short instrument for evaluating the attitude toward suicide and can be a useful tool in mental health nursing practice. Further research and analyses are required to refine the theoretical and external reliability of the method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: tytus.koweszko@wum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Tytus
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koweszko
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gierus
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mosiołek
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamiński
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Marta Dagmara
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Janus
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szulc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011044:Poland; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention