Citation

Mills JF, Kroner DG. Psychol. Serv. 2004; 1(1): 83-91.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, Educational Publishing Foundation)

DOI

10.1037/1541-1559.1.1.83

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Responding to depressed offenders and taking steps to prevent suicide are 2 important clinical functions of psychologists who work with offenders. In this article, the authors review the development, factor structure, and validity of a new instrument-the Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicide Screening Form (DHS)-within an offender population. The DHS was developed by using a classical test development strategy. The DHS contains scales that measure depression and hopelessness as well as a critical item checklist for suicide risk factors. The authors examined the responses of 272 offenders of a medium security institution. The Depression and Hopelessness scales demonstrate good internal consistency and factor structure. Construct validity is demonstrated in the scales' relationships with the Basic Personality Inventory. The DHS is able to identify offenders who have a history of suicide-relevant behaviors. The discussion centers on the potential of the DHS as a screening form for use in offender populations. © 2004 Educational Publishing Foundation.

Language: en