Citation

Satorres E, Ros L, Meléndez JC, Serrano JP, Latorre JM, Sales A. Aging Ment. Health 2016; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology , University of Valencia , Spain.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13607863.2016.1247427

PMID

27786537

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Hopelessness is a key element of suicidal intent. It can instill a pessimistic outlook on the future, leading an individual to believe that suicide is the only answer to their problems. Hopelessness operates as a modulating variable between depression and suicidal behavior. The aim of this study was to confirm the factor structure of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) in a non-clinical sample.

METHOD: Three hundred and sixty-two Spanish individuals, aged over 60, free of cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms, completed the BHS scale. Participants were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), using one-, two- and three-factor models.

RESULTS: The one- and two-factor models presented adequate fit indices. Specifically, the indices of the two-factor models were better than those of the one-factor model. The two-factor model, without items 4, 9 and 14, provided the best fit, given that the indices obtained in the CFA and their internal consistency were better than those of the other models.

CONCLUSION: The validation of the BHS for a population of Spanish older adults provides a reliable and valid measure of hopelessness and could be useful in clinical practice and research as an effective tool for the early detection of suicidal behaviors.

Language: en