The Development And Application Of The Capability For Suicide Questionnaire

Suicide,one of the most serious forms of mental health crisis,kills about 793,000 people worldwide each year.In recent years,the progress in suicide research is about the transition from suicide ideation to suicide attempt.The capability for suicide is considered to play an influential role in the progression from ideation to potentially lethal attempts within the theories of “ideation-to-action” framework,such as the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide,Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model of Suicidal Behavior,and Three-Step Theory of Suicide.It is essential to clarify the concept of capability for suicide and develop accurate measurements.This helps to understand the mechanism of suicide,and effectively facilitates the prevention and intervention of suicide.This study firstly reviewed previous theoretical and empirical studies of capability for suicide.Based on previous studies,the definition and dimensions of capability for suicide were proposed.Secondly,semi-structured interview was conducted with inpatients and undergraduates who had attempted suicide to verify the dimensions of capability for suicide which the present study proposed.Then the five-dimensional Capability for Suicide Questionnaire(CSQ)was developed.The reliability and validity of CSQ and the relationship between capability for suicide and suicide attempt were preliminarily explored in undergraduates.Some standard research methods,such as regression analysis,correlation analysis,and other statistical methods were employed.The main conclusions of the study were as follows:a.Capability for suicide was a multidimensional,internal psychological variable,including fearlessness of dying by suicide,fearlessness of death by suicide,fearlessness of influence by suicide,perceived pain tolerance,perceived pain sensitivity;b.The Capability for Suicide Questionnaire had good psychometric characteristics,demonstrating good reliability and validity;c.Capability for suicide differentiated participants with histories of suicide attempts and participants with no history of suicide ideation or attempt,and it was significantly predicted suicide attempt when controlling for current suicidal ideation.In conclusion,it was preliminarily proved that the Capability for Suicide Questionnaire was a reliable and effective measurement tool among undergraduate students in China.