Citation

Liu RT, Bettis AH, Lawrence HR, Walsh RFL, Sheehan AE, Pollak OH, Stephenson AR, Kautz MM, Marlowe RM. Assessment 2024; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/10731911241249438

PMID

38742801

Abstract

Empirically supported measures of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) are needed to serve as reference outcomes for suicide risk screening tools and to monitor severity and treatment progress in children and adolescents with STBs. The present paper systematically reviewed existing measures of STBs in youth and studies evaluating their psychometric properties and clinical utility. Measures were then evaluated on reliability, validity, and clinical utility. Sixteen articles (20 independent samples) were found with psychometric data with youth samples for eight measures. Interview-based measures were found to have the strongest psychometric support and clinical utility. Significant limitations exist for all self-report measures due to inherent characteristics of these measures that cannot be remedied through additional psychometric study. There is an urgent need for the development and validation of new self-report measures of STBs, particularly for preadolescent children, sexual and gender minority youth, and racial/ethnic minority youth.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescents; assessment; children; psychometrics; suicidal ideation; suicide; suicide attempt