GROUP ASSIGNMENT 2

PSYCHOMETRIC STUDY REPORT (30%)

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AND MEASUREMENT (PT31703)
SEMESTER 1 SESSION 2023/2024

SECTION 1
CODE PT31703
COURSE NAME PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AND MEASUREMENT
SEMESTER/SESSION 1, 2023/2024
LECTURER'S NAME PROF. DR. CHUA BEE SEOK

TITLE:

PSYCHOMETRIC STUDY OF SUICIDAL BEHAVIORS QUESTIONNAIRE-REVISED

PREPARED BY:

NAME MATRIC NUMBER

1. NUR ADIELA AMIERA BP21110077
2. EIZFER PFENNIG ANAK BANGES BP21110358
3. LIM WEI SHAN BP21110112
4. VERA ANGELIN ALOYSIUS PONGOU BP21110116
5. NUR ATIRAH AUNI BINTI NOOR AZLY BP21110379

GROUP: 6 (TUESDAY, 12-1PM)

DATE : 7 JANUARY 2024
 ABSTRACT

The validity and reliability of the suicide Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised

(SBQ-R), a quick self-report assessment of prior suicide behaviour, are crucial for
determining how well the tool measures for suicidal risk. Examining the reliability and
validity of the Suicidal Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) as a screening tool for
assessing suicide risk among Malaysian undergraduate university students was the aim of the
study. The study involved 280 university students from different universities in Malaysia with
an age range of 18-27 years old. The participants were selected using random sampling
(Google Form), where every sample had an equal chance of being selected. The research
instrument used in the study was the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R).
The SBQ-R is a 4-item instrument designed to assess suicidal thoughts, ideation, and past as
well as potential future suicide attempts which addresses different dimensions of suicidality,
including depressed affect, life stress, hopelessness, and interpersonal conflict. It was
highlighted that using the SBQ-R is an essential first step in avoiding suicide attempts among
Malaysian university students. On the other hand, the necessity for a strong and accurate
screening tool to identify kids at risk and urged additional investigations and referrals for
individuals with high SBQ-R scores was also highlighted in the study. Overall, the study
concluded that the SBQ-R is a reliable and valid screening tool for identifying individuals at
risk for suicide among university students in Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION

Understanding and accurately measuring suicidal behaviors is crucial for effective

prevention and intervention strategies. The SBQ-R is a widely used self-report questionnaire
designed to assess different aspects of suicidal behaviors, including ideation, plans, and
attempts. Despite its widespread use, there is a need for rigorous psychometric evaluation of
the SBQ-R to ensure its reliability and validity across diverse populations. Suicide behaviours
are becoming more common, hence a thorough and validated instrument is still required to
precisely identify and measure the many aspects of suicidal behaviours. The early detection
and treatment of those who may engage in suicidal behaviour are complicated by the absence
of a valid and trustworthy instrument.

In order to determine the validity and reliability of the Suicidal Behaviours

Questionnaire-Revised in identifying and quantifying suicidal behaviours within the target
group, a psychometric investigation is urgently required. By establishing the reliability and
validity of this questionnaire, the study aims to provide a valuable tool for identifying
individuals at risk of suicidal behaviors. This is particularly significant in the context of
mental health care, where early detection and intervention are crucial for preventing suicide.
According to World Health Organization (2023), suicide occurs throughout life and was the
fourth largest cause of death worldwide in 2019 for those aged 15 to 29 and an estimated 703

1
000 people take their own lives each year with many more attempt of suicide. Suicide is
preventable if a reliable and valid tool to identify individuals at risk of suicidal behaviors
existed. Rueda-Jaimes et al. (2017) has conducted a study to assess the validity of the Spanish
version of the Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire-Revised in patients with suicidality which
highlights the need for validated instruments in diverse cultural and linguistic contexts.
Besides that, The Suicide Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised's psychometric qualities and
validation in Iran highlight the universal applicability of validated assessment instruments for
recognising and addressing suicidal behaviours (Amini‐Tehrani et al., 2020). One of the
importance of the study being conducted is to assist with the development of trustworthy and
validated assessment instruments that can support the early detection and treatment of those
who may exhibit suicidal thoughts or behaviours. Not only that, the study could boost suicide
prevention efforts in clinical and public health settings by providing a solid basis for the
Suicidal Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) to be used as a standardised instrument
in suicide risk assessment. Offering a validated tool that may help with the planning and
execution of focused interventions will eventually improve the outcomes for those who are at
risk. The study has the potential to support greater efforts aimed at suicide prevention and
mental health promotion by demonstrating the validity and reliability of the Suicidal
Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised.

Examining the reliability and validity of the Suicidal Behaviours

Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) as a screening tool for assessing suicide risk among
Malaysian undergraduate university students was the aim of the study.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

To study the reliability and validity of Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised

(SBQ-R) based on suicidal behaviour nowadays

LITERATURE REVIEW

There are a few studies had carried out in the literature review to study the reliability and
validity of Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) based on suicidal behaviour
nowadays through five articles shown below.

A study titled "The psychometric characteristics of the 4-item Suicidal Behaviors

Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) as a screening tool in a non-clinical sample of Nigerian
university students" was conducted by Olutayo Alobaa, Olubunmi Ojeleyeb and Tolulope
Alobac (2017). The purpose of the study was to examine the psychometric characteristics of
the 4-item Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) as a screening tool for suicide
risk assessment among university undergraduate students in South-western Nigeria. The

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research instrument used in the study was the 4-items Suicidal Behaviors
Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), a sociodemographic and academic-related questionnaire,
the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the 12-item General Health
Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Suicidal risk categories were determined through interviews using
the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). As a result, the primary research
instrument, the 4-item SBQ-R, demonstrated good internal consistency where the Cronbach’s
Alpha for the SBQ-R items was 0.80. Construct validity was supported through significant
positive correlations with the HADS-Anxiety and Depression subscales, and the GHQ-12.
Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve evaluation suggests that the best cut-off total
score with the optimal sensitivity (0.882), specificity (0.875) and highest accuracy (0.879)
was 8 in terms of identifying the students at high risk of suicide (Area Under the Curve =
0.928; 95% Confidence Interval = 0.890–0.966; Standard Error = 0.019). In conclusion, the
instrument demonstrated good psychometric properties, with the optimal cutoff score
indicating high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in identifying at-risk individuals. Hence,
the use of the SBQ-R could serve as a crucial step in preventing suicidal attempts among
Nigerian university students. It emphasises the need for a valid and reliable screening tool to
identify students at risk and suggests further investigations and referrals for those with high
SBQ-R scores.

Another study titled "Validation and psychometric properties of Suicide Behaviors

Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) in Iran" was conducted by Mohammadali Amini-Tehrani,
Mohammad Nasiri, Tina Jalali, Raheleh Sadeghi, Amene Ghotbi and Hadi Zamanian (2020).
The SBQ-R is a psychometrically sound and cost-effective tool that can be used to identify
suicide-related behaviors and risks in the youth population of Iran. The purpose of the study
was to validate the Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) among undergraduate
students in Iran. The Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) has been used in
many studies to evaluate suicidal thoughts, plans, communication, attempts, and risks, which
address the individual’s deadly intent (Osman et al., 2001). A survey of 487 undergraduates
was conducted within the age range of 18–29 years. The instrument used in the study was
validity of the instrument which is SBQ-R by using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA),
spearman's correlation between the two single-item indices of suicide acceptability (SA,
lifetime suicidal ideation (LSI) and the categorizations according to item 1 and the cut-off
values (≥ 7 and ≥ 8) were examined using logistic regression and Kruskal-Wallis tests. As a
result, the SBQ-R’s correlation with suicide acceptability (SA) and lifetime suicidal ideation
(LSI) confirmed its concurrent validity. Regression analysis confirmed the ability of both
cut-off points to distinguish the participants with high SA and LSI; however, the cut-off point
≥ 8 produced better results regarding high LSI. In conclusion, the SBQ-R is an advantageous
and reliable psychometric tool that can be used in clinical psychology, public health, and
health psychology research to uncover behaviors associated to suicide in various groups.

Next, the study titled "Investigating the Reliability of Suicide Attempt History
Reporting Across Five Measures: A Study of U.S. Military Service Members at Risk of
Suicide" was conducted by Melanie A. Hom, Ian H. Stanley, Mary E. Duffy, Megan L.
Rogers, Jetta E. Hanson, Peter M. Gutierrez and Thomas E. Joiner (2019). The purpose of the

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study was to investigate the reliability of suicide attempt history reporting among military
service members and to identify patterns of reporting across different measures. The study
aimed to evaluate the consistency of reporting across measures and to determine whether
consistent reporters differed from inconsistent reporters on other clinical severity indices. The
research instruments used in this study to investigate suicide attempt history reporting among
military service members included five measures which are the Columbia-Suicide Severity
Rating Scale (C-SSRS), the Suicide History and Behavior Questionnaire (SHBQ), the Beck
Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS), the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R),
and the Depressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Subscale (DSI-SS). The SBQ-R was used
to assess lifetime and past-year suicidal ideation severity, as well as individuals' perceived
likelihood of engaging in suicidal behavior in the future. One of the items in the SBQ-R also
includes an assessment of suicide attempt history. As a result, the study found that a
significant proportion of military service members reported inconsistent suicide attempt
history across different measures. The results suggest that relying on a single measure to
assess suicide attempt history may not be sufficient, and that using multiple measures may be
necessary to obtain a more accurate picture of suicide risk. The study also identified several
factors associated with inconsistent reporting, including younger age, male gender, and
higher levels of anxiety and depression. These findings have important implications for
suicide prevention efforts among military service members and highlight the need for more
comprehensive and accurate suicide risk assessments. In conclusion, the study highlights the
challenges of accurately assessing suicide attempt history among military service members
and underscores the need for more comprehensive and accurate suicide risk assessments to
prevent suicide among this population.

Next, the title of this study was “Validity of the Suicide Behaviors
Questionnaire-Revised in patients with short-term suicide risk” and was conducted by G.E.
Rueda-Jaimes, V.A. Castro-Rueda, A.M. Rangel-Martínez-Villalba, J.D. Corzo-Casasadiego,
C. Moreno-Quijano and P.A. Camacho (2017). The purpose of this study was to assess the
validity of the Spanish version of The Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire-Revised in patients
with suicidality. This cross-sectional study involved 484 patients. The research instruments
used in this study was the Spanish version of The Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire-Revised
and 2 other scales which are Reasons for Living Inventory (RFL) a questionnaire consisting
of 48 items of six-point likert scale and Beck’s Hopelessness Scale (BHS) is a self-report
scale consisting of 20 statements that can be defined as true or false. As a result, after
screening 484 suicidal patients, 417 of them were found to be eligible, and 411 of them could
be evaluated. A domain with an eigenvalue of 2.0 was discovered through factor analysis to
account for 50.1% of the variance. The NPV was 98.3% (IC95%, 95.2–99.6) and the PPV
was 8.7% (IC95%, 4.7–14.4) with a cutoff point of ≥11. In conclusion, similar to the English
version, the Spanish version of The Suicidal Behaviour Questionnaire-Revised has adequate
concurrent validity, predictive validity, and moderate internal consistency.

Last but not least, the research titled ‘Psychometric Properties of Suicidal Behaviors
Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) Screening Tool Among People with Mental Illness at out
Patient Department of Jimma University Medical Center, Psychiatric Clinic, South West

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Ethiopia’ was conducted by Dekeba Teshome (2020). The purpose of the research was to
assess the validity and reliability of the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R)
screening tool among people with mental illnesses at the outpatient department of Jimma
University Medical Center, Psychiatric Clinic in the year 2020. This institutional-based
cross-sectional study design was conducted on 154 participants from the outpatient
department of Jimma University Medical Center Psychiatric Clinic; the sample selection
method was done by using a consecutive sampling technique. The instruments used for this
research were sociodemographic, Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), and
Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The research also used Internal
Consistency Reliability to measure the consistency of the result, Cronbach‟s alpha coefficient
(α), criterion validity, Receive Operating Characteristics (ROC), Sensitivity or true positive
rate (TPR), and Specificity or true negative rate (TNR). As a result, the Inter-rater reliability
of SBQ-R between the two data collectors was a kappa coefficient of 0.92 and the internal
consistency reliability (Cronbach‟s alpha) of the Afaan Oromoo version of SBQ-R was (α
=0.88). All items were significantly correlated (r ≥ 0.3). The Receiver Operating
Characteristics (ROC) curve shows that SBQ-R demonstrated excellent performance against
the MINI suicidality module as the area under the curve (AUC) for the SBQ-R to predict
Suicidal behavior was 0.95 (95%, CI= 0.92 - 0.98). As a suicide risk screening tool, SBQ-R
demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties with a maximum Youden’s index of (0.83)
at a total cut-off score of 7 which has a sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 88%, and a
positive predictive value of 76% and negative predictive value of 98% among people with
mental illness. There was no difference in cut-off scores across males and females. The
conclusion of the study is the study of psychometric properties of the Afaan Oromoo version
of SBQ-R showed high reliability (α =0.88) and capacity to identify people at high risk of
suicide. A score of 7 and above with a sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 88%, and (AUC
=0.95) is appropriate to screen suicidal behavior among people with mental illnesses.

To sum up, the SBQ-R is a validated and reliable instrument that provides a brief but
thorough evaluation of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It is a useful tool for suicide risk
assessment research as well as clinical practice because to its simple scoring and therapeutic
relevance.

METHODS

Research Design

The research design for the study conducted was a quantitative study, collecting the data
of respondents using a set of online questionnaires on Google Form with the purpose of
understand the risk and protective factors of suicide among undergraduates in multi-racial
and multi-religious in Malaysia using the Strain Theory of Suicide. A psychometric
properties of Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire- Revised (SBQ-R) was evaluate for the study
based on reliability and validity of the instrument.

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Participants

The sample had a total number of 280 undergraduate students from a few different
universities in Malaysia consisting of 58 males (20.7%) and 222 females (79.3%) that had a
ranged age of 18-27 years old with an average of 22.09. Random sampling was used as the
method of selecting the respondents. Random sampling is a part of the sampling techniques
where every sample has an equal chance of being selected. The purpose of a randomly
selected sample is to provide a fair depiction of the entire population.

Location

The study was conducted in Malaysia, where the respondents comprised a few
different universities around Malaysia. The Google form of an online questionnaire was done
by researchers from different universities in Malaysia, the link was later shared with the
potential respondents that participation would only be counted after they finished answering
the online questionnaire.

Instruments

Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R)

The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R; Osman et.al., 2001) is a revised

from the original 34-item SBQ developed in 1981 by Linehan. SBQ-R is a 4-item instrument
that serves as a platform for self-reporting suicidal views, ideation, and past as well as
potential future suicide attempts. Each item focuses on a different dimension of suicidality,
item 1 (depressed affect) draws from a history of suicidal thoughts and/or attempts, item 2
(life stress) analyses the recurrence of suicidal thoughts over the past twelve months, item 3
(hopelessness) evaluates the risk of attempting suicide, and item 4 (interpersonal conflict)
assesses the self-reported possibility of future suicidal behavior. Respondents chose their
answers for the items on a 5-, 6-, or 7- point scale. Those items are (1) “Have you ever
thought about or attempted to kill yourself?” (2) “How often have you thought about killing
yourself in the past year?” (3) “Have you ever told someone that you were going to commit
suicide, or that you might do it?” (4) “How likely is it that you will attempt suicide
someday?”. The total score should range from 3-18. The higher the scores, the higher the
level of suicidality of the individual.

Purpose In Life-Short Form (PIL-SF)

The Purpose in Life- Short Form (PIL-SF; Schulenberg, Schnetzer, & Buchanan, 2011)
was formed by 4-item (3, 4, 8, and 20) from the Purpose in Life Test developed by
Crumbaugh & Maholick in 1964, 1969. These four things addressed the presence of clear life
goals, life meaning, life goal fulfilment, and presence of life goals/life purposes (Schulenberg

6
et al., 2010). PIL-SF was created to provide a unidimensional and brief version of the PIL test
in assessing the meaning and purpose of life (Pacak‐Vedel et al., 2021). PIL-SF 4-item
self-report was rated by 7-point Likert scale. The 4-item include (1) “In life I have:” with
options for responses ranging from 1 (“No goals or aims at all”) to 7 (“Very clear goals and
aims”) (2) “My personal existence is:” with options for responses ranging from 1 (“Utterly
meaningless without purposes”) to 7 (“Very purposeful and meaningful”) (3) “In achieving
life goals I have:” with options for responses ranging from 1 (“Made no progress
whatsoever”) to 7 (“Progressed to complete fulfilment”) (4) “I have discovered:” with options
for responses ranging from 1 (“No mission or purpose in life”) to 7 (Clear-cut goals and a
satisfying life purposes). Total score range from 4-28 and it was suggested the higher the
score, the greater the perception of meaning/purpose in life.

Attitudes Towards Suicide (ATTS)

Attitudes towards Suicide Scale (ATTS) is a 34-item that consist of 10 factor model
used to measure an individual’s attitude toward suicide developed by Renberg and Jacobsson
in the year 2003. However for this study, only the 6-item factor 1, named ‘Suicide as a right’
will be used to measure the individual’s attitudes towards suicide. All items are scored using
the 5-point Likert Scale, where 1 represents “strongly disagree” and 5 represents “strongly
agree”. The 6-item includes: (1) “Suicide is an acceptable means to terminate an incurable
disease” (2) “There may be situations where the only reasonable resolution is suicide” (3) “I
could say that I would take my life without actually meaning it” (4) “Suicide can sometimes
be a relief for those involved” (5) “I would consider the possibility of taking my life if I were
to suffer from a severe, incurable, disease” (6) “People do have the right to take their own
lives”. The range score can be from 6-30.

Procedure

The self-administered online questionnaire in Google Form with the title “Risk and
Protective Factors of Suicide among Undergraduates in Malaysia” was done by 21
researchers from 19 different universities in Malaysia, the form was then distributed to the
undergraduates of these 19 universities for the possible respondents that join voluntarily
without any obligation or force. On the first page of the Google Form, respondents were
given the introduction and what to expect from the study (purpose of the study, Respondent’s
responsibilities, and potential risk). The respondent, age above 18 was then given the option
of “Agree” or “Disagree” with the consent form. The total of 280 respondents’ data was then
being compiled and moved in a statistical software (IBM SPSS Statistics Version 29.0) for
data cleaning, normality test, reliability analysis, and validity analysis.

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Data Analysis

All statistical analyses of raw data collected from the SBQ-R instrument were
performed with the Statistical Products and Service Solutions (IBM SPSS) software, version
29.0. The sociodemographic details and scores on the study measures were presented with
descriptive statistics such as frequencies (percentages) and means (standard deviations). The
reliability of the SBQ-R was assessed by examining its Cronbach’s alpha, the internal
consistency reliability. Construct validity was evaluated through convergent and discriminant
validity. The convergent validity of the SBQ-R was tested by examining the relationship
among the items of SBQ-R. Discriminant validity was examined through correlations of the
SBQ-R with PIL-SF and ATTS and by using factor analysis technique by factor analysing
items of SBQ-R with items of PIL-SF and ATTS and determining if the SBQ-R inter
correlate with PIL-SF and ATTS in an expected manner.

RESULTS

To test reliability, item analysis, and the validity of SBQ-R, a total of 280
undergraduates from different universities in Malaysia have participated as respondents by
filling out the distributed questionnaire. The respondents’ demographics are presented in
Table 2.

Table 2
Demographic Characteristics of the Students (N = 280)
Characteristic Frequency (f) Percentage (%)

Sex

Male 58 20.7

Female 222 79.3

Religion

Islam 156 55.7

Buddhism 41 14.6

Daoism 1 0.4

Hinduism 10 3.6

Christian Protestant 24 8.6

Christian Catholic 35 12.5

No Religion 5 1.8

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 Other 8 2.9

Age

18 1 0.4

19 6 2.1

20 9 3.2

21 48 17.1

22 148 52.9

23 41 14.6

24 17 6.1

25 5 1.8

26 1 0.4

27 4 1.4

Ethnicity

Malay 90 32.1

Chinese 60 21.4

Indian 13 4.6

Bumiputera Sarawak 18 6.4

Bumiputera Sabah 90 32.1

Others 9 3.2

Current Year of Study

Year 1 10 3.6

Year 2 16 5.7

Year 3 238 85.0

Year 4 8 2.9

Year 5 7 2.5

Other (Graduated) 1 0.4

Note: (N = 280)
As shown in Table 2, the respondents' ages ranged from 18 to 27 years old, with an
average age of 22.09 years (SD=1.229). The majority of respondents answering this

9
questionnaire were 22 years old. The sample consisted of 20.7% male and 78.3% female
respondents. In terms of religion, 55.7% identified as Islam, 14.6% as Buddhism, 0.4% as
Daoism, 3.6% as Hinduism, 8.6% as Christian Protestant, 12.5% as Christian Catholic, 1.8%
with no religion and 2.9% as “Other”. In terms of racial background, 32.1% Malay, 21.4%
Chinese, 4.6% Indian, 6.4% Bumiputera Sarawak, 32.1% Bumiputera Sabah, and 3.2%
indicated as “Other” ethnic. Regarding academic background, 3.6% are Year 1 students, 5.7%
Year 2, 85.0% Year 3, 2.9% Year 4, 2.5% Year 5, and 0.4% “Others (Graduated)”.

Descriptive Statistics

To understand the data properties and respondents, the minimum value, maximum
value, mean, and standard deviation have been obtained. Descriptive statistics regarding the
SBQ-R subscales have been presented in Table 3. As shown in Table 3, mean scores and
standard deviations for each SBQ-R item were calculated to provide an overview of suicidal
behaviors in the studied population.

Table 3
Descriptive Statistics of SBQ-R Items (N = 280)
Items Description N Min Max Mean Std.
Deviation

SBQ-R 1 Have you ever thought about or 280 1.00 6.00 2.19 1.360
attempted to kill yourself?

SBQ-R 2 How often have you thought 280 1.00 5.00 2.10 1.266
about killing yourself in the past
year?

SBQ-R 3 Have you ever told someone 280 1.00 5.00 1.63 1.083
that you were going to commit
suicide, or that you might do it?

SBQ-R 4 How likely is it that you will 280 0.00 6.00 1.08 1.607
attempt suicide someday?
Abbreviation: SBQ-R: Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised.

The results in Table 3 indicate that the minimum values for items SBQ-R 1, SBQ-R 2,
and SBQ-R 3 are 1.00 while the minimum value for item SBQ-R 4 is 0.00. The maximum
value for SBQ-R 1 and SBQ-R 4 are 6.00 while the maximum value for SBQ-R 2 and SBQ-R
3 are 5. Regarding mean values, SBQ-R 1 stands at (Mean = 2.19, SD = 1.360), SBQ-R 2
stands at (Mean = 2.10, SD = 1.266), SBQ-R 3 stands at (Mean = 1.63, SD = 1.083), and
SBQ-R 4 stands at (Mean = 1.08, SD = 1.607). Overall, SBQ-R 1 has the highest mean value.

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Reliability Analysis

To ensure the reliability and validity of SBQ-R, the instrument reliability was tested
using Cronbach's Alpha for each item's reliability. The reliability for each SBQ-R item is
presented in Table 4.

Table 4
Reliability Analysis for SBQ-R Subscales
Measure Number of Items Cronbach's
Alpha

SBQ-R 4 .861

As shown in Table 4, Cronbach's Alpha coefficient for the SBQ-R was .861,
indicating good reliability.

4.3 Item Analysis

To test the scale's homogeneity, the Corrected Item-Total Correlation for those items
has been computed. Cronbach’s Alpha if Item Deleted has also been examined.

Table 5
Results of item-total correlations and Cronbach’s Alpha analysis for the SBQ-R, (N = 280)
Item Description Corrected Item- Cronbach's Alpha
Total if Item Deleted
Correlation

SBQ-R 1 Have you ever thought about or 0.797 0.784

attempted to kill yourself?

SBQ-R 2 How often have you thought about 0.749 0.806

killing yourself in the past year?

SBQ-R 3 Have you ever told someone that you 0.615 0.860
were going to commit suicide, or that
you might do it?

SBQ-R 4 How likely is it that you will attempt 0.712 0.831

suicide someday?

All Corrected Item-Total Correlations exceed the accepted minimum threshold of

0.30, indicating that each item is significantly related to all scales. Based on Table 5, it is
evident that all item correlation values range between 0.615 and 0.797, surpassing the 0.30
benchmark. Therefore, all 4 items are retained. No items have been excluded from the
measure to enhance its validity. Typically, items with an Item-Total Correlation of 0.30 are
considered to have high reliability. Consequently, there is no need to revise any items.

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Validity Analysis

Convergent Validity

Convergent validity refers to the extent to which one measure is associated with
another measure that can predict a correlation between these measures. This validity can be
observed through a high positive correlation level and significant correlation between
dimensions. According to Carlson & Herdman (2012), researchers arrive at inconsistent
conclusions with the argument that low convergent validity is at r=.28 and high at r=.75.
Research evidence indicates that the actual threshold for concluding convergent validity in
research varies. However, generally, correlations closer to r=1.0 indicate strong convergent
validity, while correlations near zero or even r=.00 suggest weak or no association between
measures.

Table 6
Internal Validity, Pearson Correlation of the SBQ-R
Items SBQ-R 1 SBQ-R 2 SBQ-R 3 SBQ-R 4

SBQ-R 1 1 .709** .650** .664**

SBQ-R 2 .709** 1 .508** .680**

SBQ-R 3 .650** .508** 1 .488**

SBQ-R 4 .664** .680** .488** 1

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

The Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised comprises four items: SBQ-R 1,

SBQ-R2, SBQ-R 3, and SBQ-R 4. The correlation between these four items is presented in
Table 6. Upon analysing Table 6, the results indicate a significant and high positive
correlation. All correlation scores fall below r=.75, with the minimum score at (r= .488, N =
280, p<0.01) between SBQ-R 3 and SBQ-R 4 and the maximum score at (r = .709, N = 280,
p<0.01) between SBQ-R 1 and SBQ-R 2. These findings suggest a strong and high
convergent validity of this construct, indicating that all four items measure the same
construct. The outcomes suggest that the developed scale is reliable and valid.

Discriminant Validity

Discriminant validity refers to the validity that explains the extent to which the
operations are unrelated to operations that theoretically should not be related to them. Unlike
convergent validity, discriminant validity is characterised by a weak correlation between the
measured constructs. It demonstrates that correlations closer to r=0.0 indicate strong
discriminant validity, while correlations approaching r=.10 suggest weak discriminant
validity.

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Table 7
The correlation between the SBQ-R and other measures.
Measure Item SBQ-R SBQ-R SBQ-R SBQ-R
1 2 3 4

PIL-SF PIL-SF 1 -.163** -.219** -.159** -.236**

PIL-SF 2 -.274** -.288** -.186** -.219**
PIL-SF 3 -.207** -.181** -.136* -.173**
PIL-SF 4 -.236** -.213** -.188** -.196**
ATTS ATTS 1 .424** .419** .345** .480**
ATTS 2 .401** .467** .357** .469**
ATTS 3 .397** .436** .330** .469**
ATTS 4 .487** .487** .430** .537**
ATTS 5 .518** .497** .421** .570**
ATTS 6 .352** .334** .324** .457**
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

Table 7 shows the correlation between items of the Suicide Behavior

Questionnaire-Revised and items of another constructs called the Purpose In Life Short Form
(PIL-SF), and Attitudes Towards Suicide (ATTS). PIL-SF consists of four items while ATTS
first domain consists of six items. Table 7 indicates a weak correlation among items of
different measures, meeting the criteria for high discriminant validity. The minimum
correlation score is between PIL-SF 2 and SBQ-R 2 (r = -.288, N = 280, p<.01), and the
maximum score is between ATTS 5 and SBQ-R 4 (r = .570, N = 280, p<.01). With all
correlation scores being low and below r = .537, it demonstrates that the measured construct
maintains high discriminant validity, contrasting the high correlation scores in the convergent
validity of the Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R).

TABLE 8
The correlation between total score of SBQ-R and other measures.
TOTAL_PILSF TOTAL_ATTS

TOTAL_SBQR -.283** .630

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

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 Table 8 shows the correlation between total score of the Suicide Behavior
Questionnaire-Revised, the total score of the Purpose In Life Short Form (PIL-SF), and the
total score of Attitudes Towards Suicide (ATTS). The Pearson Correlation between the
SBQ-R and ATTS shows the highest correlation coefficient (r = .630) while the correlation
between SBQ-R and PILSF shows the lowest correlation coefficient (r =-.283). However, the
correlation coefficient is not in the acceptable criterion value which is 0.50 and above.

DISCUSSION

According to Osman et al. (2001), the Suicidal Behavioral Questionnaire-Revised that

was design to brief self-report measure of past suicidal behavior. In other words, the 4 items
that make up the Suicidal Behavioral Questionnaire-Revised offer a platform for
self-reporting suicidal attitudes, ideation, and past and potential future suicide attempts. The
Cronbach’s Alpha value for internal consistency reliability analysis of the Suicidal
Behavioral Questionnaire-Revised indicated that the instrument had good internal reliability
(α= .861). In addition, our study was also in the line with earlier studies where our study
yielded similar results as the previous studies (Hom, M. A., Stanley, I. H., Duffy, M. E.,
Rogers, M. L., Hanson, J. E., Gutierrez, P. M., & Joiner, T. E., 2019) and (Teshome, D.,
2020). Thus, it can be said that the Suicidal Behavioral Questionnaire-Revised is a reliable
instrument.
Apart from that, the convergent validity of the Suicidal Behavioral
Questionnaire-Revised was confirmed via Pearson correlation. To test the convergent validity
of the Suicidal Behavioral Questionnaire-Revised, the instrument was correlated with two
instruments which are Purpose In Life-Short Form and Attitudes Towards Suicide. With a
coefficient of 0.630, the correlation analysis shows a strong positive relationship between the
Suicidal Behavioural Questionnaire-Revised and Attitudes Towards Suicide. Conversely,
there is a weakly negative correlation (-0.283) between the Suicidal Behavioural
Questionnaire-Revised and the Purpose In Life Short Form. In spite of these results, none of
the correlation coefficients meet the generally accepted cutoff point of 0.50 and above,
indicating that the relationships observed may not be strong but still meriting investigation
and thought in order to fully comprehend the interaction between Suicidal Behavioural
Questionnaire-Revised, Purpose In Life Short Form, and Attitudes Towards Suicide.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the Suicidal Behavioral Questionnaire-Revised was found to be reliable

and highly valid. Our result indicated that the Suicidal Behavioral Questinnaire-Revised has
high reliability and high validity as the result indicate that the correlation is in the acceptable

14
criterion for the instrument to measure what it is supposed to measure. As the result indicated
positive correlation with Purpose In Life-Short Form and Attitudes Towards Suicide as
expected, the correlation coefficient for validity was in acceptable range.
The online surveys and technical difficulties with completing the survey are the
limitations. One of the limitations of online surveys is that the researchers cannot monitor
them. While the respondent is answering the questions, we are unable to keep an eye on their
changes in physiology and psychology. It's possible that they experienced survey fatigue
when completing the questionnaire. They either gave false answers to the survey or gave up
on it because they were bored with answering the questions and started to dislike the process.
Ultimately, it significantly raises the errors and has an impact on the analysis and outcome.
Second, technical difficulties were encountered by survey respondents. Online
surveys, as we all know, make use of technology. The respondents might have to retake the
entire survey if internet connectivity drops. Furthermore, respondents may experience
device-related problems, such as smartphones or laptops with poor performance, which
skews the survey's display and leads to respondents providing false information. These
limitations lead to recommendations for additional research, such as using in-person
interviews rather than online survey forms. Last but not least, the future study can use an
instrument of suicidal which measures the same construct as the Suicidal Behavioral
Questionnaire-Revided to give more inputs on this instrument and more knowledge.

15
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