Reliability And Validity Of The Chinese Revised Of The Beck Hopelessness Scale(BHS) In Rural Area

Objective:The aim of the study was to translate and revise the Beck Hopelessness Scale(BHS), and evluate it's reliability and validity in rural area of China. To provide an effective measurement and evaluation tools for Chinese suicide study.Methods:The object of the study was random draw from the peasant who go to the county (city) polyclinic for health examination. 108 suicide attmpers also from these polyclinics's emergency outpatient service .The procedures of the Chinese revise of BHS as follows: The BHS was translated and back-translated by standard method to constructed BHS for pre-test of 316 peasants. Inappropriate items was revised according to pre-test results, then constructed BHS for formal test of 494 peasants and 108 suicide attmpers. Some items was deleted after item analysis, BHS-CR was finally constructed. 105 peasants which random draw from the 494 peasants were re-tested after 4 weeks. Center for Epidemiological Survey, Depression Scale (CES-D) was administrated to 236 peasants which also random draw from the 494 peasants. Cronbach's alpha coefficient, Split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability were ananlyzed for the reliability of BHS-CR. The validity analysis include construct validity ,criteria validity and discrimination validity.Results:(1). By item analysis, item 6 and item 19's critical ratio and corrected item-total score correlation coefficient were below the standard of psychological measurement. Deleted item 6 and item19.BHS-CR was finally consturcted by other 18 items. (2).Results of BHS-CR showed that :The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.849. The Split-half reliability was 0.783. The re-tested reliability was 0.717(p<0.01). Exploratory factor analyses yielded four factors: loss of motivation, feelings about the future, future expectations, uncertain about the future.These factors accounted for 55.982% of the variance.The criteria validity was 0.557(p<0.01) .The score displayed significant difference in the normal peasants group and suicide attemper group, it proved that BHS-CR has good discrimination validity .Conclusions: The BHS-CR's reliability and validity met the the requirements of psychometrics. it is proved to be a appropriate tool to test the individual's hopelessness. BHS-CR could be used in suicide study and prevention study in China.