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Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire – Revised

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

Assessment Rating

A - Psychometrics Well-Demonstrated

Developer: Osman, A., Bagge, C. L., Gutierrez, P. M., Konick, L. C., Kopper, B. A., & Barrios, F. X.

A
See entire scale

Assessment Rating

A - Psychometrics Well-Demonstrated

Developer: Osman, A., Bagge, C. L., Gutierrez, P. M., Konick, L. C., Kopper, B. A., & Barrios, F. X.

A
See entire scale

Description / Purpose

The Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) is a psychological self-report questionnaire designed to identify risk factors for suicide in adolescents and adults. The four-item questionnaire asks about four constructs within the suicidal behavior domain: lifetime ideation and attempt, recent frequency of ideation, suicide threats, and self-assessed likelihood of future suicidal behavior. The four items are rated on Likert scales of varying lengths, resulting in total scores between 3 and 18.


Target Population: Adolescents ages 13—18 years old and Adults

Administer Time: 5 minutes

Completed By: Self-report

Available Modalities: Pen and paper

Scoring Information: Hand scored

Training Requirements: None

Availability: Copyrighted but free. Available on the internet. Full measure is included in Osman, A., Bagge, C. L., Gutierrez, P. M., Konick, L. C., Kopper, B. A., & Barrios, F. X. (2001). The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R): validation with clinical and nonclinical samples. Assessment, 8(4), 443—454. https://doi.org/10.1177/107319110100800409

Description / Purpose

The Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) is a psychological self-report questionnaire designed to identify risk factors for suicide in adolescents and adults. The four-item questionnaire asks about four constructs within the suicidal behavior domain: lifetime ideation and attempt, recent frequency of ideation, suicide threats, and self-assessed likelihood of future suicidal behavior. The four items are rated on Likert scales of varying lengths, resulting in total scores between 3 and 18.


Target Population: Adolescents ages 13—18 years old and Adults

Administer Time: 5 minutes

Completed By: Self-report

Available Modalities: Pen and paper

Scoring Information: Hand scored

Training Requirements: None

Availability: Copyrighted but free. Available on the internet. Full measure is included in Osman, A., Bagge, C. L., Gutierrez, P. M., Konick, L. C., Kopper, B. A., & Barrios, F. X. (2001). The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R): validation with clinical and nonclinical samples. Assessment, 8(4), 443—454. https://doi.org/10.1177/107319110100800409

Contact Information

Augustine Osman

Contact Information

Augustine Osman

Summary of Relevant Psychometric Research
This tool has received the Measurement Tools Rating of A – Psychometrics Well-Demonstrated based on the published, peer-reviewed research available. The tool must have 2 or more published, peer-reviewed studies that have established the measure’s psychometrics (e.g., reliability and validity, sensitivity and specificity, etc.). Please see the Measurement Tools Rating Scale for more information.
View All Research Articles

  • Osman, A., Bagge, C. L., Gutierrez, P. M., Konick, L. C., Kopper, B. A., & Barrios, F. X. (2001). The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R): validation with clinical and nonclinical samples. Assessment, 8(4), 443—454. https://doi.org/10.1177/107319110100800409

    Number of participants: Participants included 120 psychiatric inpatient adolescents, 138 high school students, 120 psychiatric inpatient adults, and 135 undergraduate university students.

    Population:

    • Race/Ethnicity — Psychiatric inpatient adolescents: 80% Caucasian, 5% African American, 9.2% Asian American, 2.5% Hispanic American, and 3.3% Other ethnic groups; High school students: 87% Caucasian, 2.9% African American, 5.8% Asian American, 4.3% Hispanic American; Psy

    Summary:

    The present study examined the reliability and validity of a brief self-report measure of past suicidal behavior, the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). The coefficient alpha estimate ranged from 0.76 (undergraduate sample) to 0.88 (psychiatric adolescent inpatient sample), depending on the sample. Logistic regression analyses provided empirical support for the usefulness of the SBQ-R as a risk measure of suicide to differentiate between suicide-risk and nonsuicidal study participants. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses indicated that the most useful cutoff scores on the SBQ-R were 7 for nonsuicidal samples, and 8 for clinical samples. Both the single SBQ-R Item 1 and SBQ-R total scores are recommended for use in clinical and nonclinical settings.

  • Gutierrez, P. M., Joiner, T., Hanson, J., Stanley, I. H., Silva, C., & Rogers, M. L. (2019). Psychometric properties of four commonly used suicide risk assessment measures: Applicability to military treatment settings. Military Behavioral Health, 7(2), 177—184. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2018.1562390

    Number of participants: 1,044 military service members at risk for suicide

    Population:

    • Race/Ethnicity — 59.7% Caucasian, 21.5% African American, 0.8% Native American or Alaska Native, 3.9% Asian/Pacific Islander, 14.2% Other

    Summary:

    The purpose of the current study was to examine data from a large assessment study to confirm the reliability and validity of 4 widely used suicide risk assessment measures for military personnel. The risk assessment measures were (a) Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale; (b) Self-Harm Behavior Questionnaire; (c) Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire–Revised; and (d) Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. Items from the Military Suicide Research Consortium’s Common Data Elements were used to examine convergent validity. Data from 1,044 military service members at risk for suicide who completed baseline assessments were used in the current analyses. Small differences were found across the measures, but overall performance was acceptable and all are considered valid and reliable to use when assessing active duty U.S. military personnel.

  • Ringer, F. B., Soberay, K. A., Rogers, M. L., Hagan, C. R., Chu, C., Schneider, M., Podlogar, M. C., Witte, T., Holm-Denoma, J., Plant, E. A., Gutierrez, P. M., & Joiner, T. E. (2018). Initial validation of brief measures of suicide risk factors: Common data elements used by the Military Suicide Research Consortium. Psychological assessment, 30(6), 767—778. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000519

    Number of participants: Merged data from 3,140 participants (81.0% military service members, 75.6% male) across 19 studies

    Population:

    • Race/Ethnicity — 66.2% Caucasian, 19.7% African American, 1.0% Native American or Alaska Native, 2.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.4% Multiracial, 9.3% Other

    Summary:

    The Military Suicide Research Consortium (MSRC) developed a 57-item questionnaire assessing suicide risk factors, referred to as the Common Data Elements (CDEs), in order to facilitate data sharing and improve collaboration across independent studies. The CDEs include some complete measures, including the SBQ-R, as well as shortened measures of the following: current and past suicide risk, lethality and intent of past suicide attempts, hopelessness, thwarted belongingness, anxiety sensitivity, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, traumatic brain injury, insomnia, and alcohol abuse. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CDE items drawn from empirically validated measures. Results indicated that all measures exhibited adequate internal consistency, and all CDE shortened measures were significantly correlated with the corresponding full measures with moderate to strong effect sizes. Correlations between the measures illustrated convergent validity across several measures. CDE measures directly assessing suicide-related variables, including the DSI-SS, the SBQ-R, the SIS, and the BSS, were moderately to highly correlated with each other. CDE measures assessing risk factors associated with suicide, such as anxiety sensitivity or hopelessness, were moderately correlated with measures directly assessing suicide risk but less so when compared to the magnitude of correlations between other direct measures of suicide risk as expected. The magnitude of correlations between direct measures of suicide risk were larger than the magnitude of correlations between risk factors associated with suicide and direct measures of suicide risk, with the exception of thwarted belongingness. Factor analyses indicated that the shortened CDE measures performed well in comparison with the full measures.

Summary of Relevant Psychometric Research

This tool has received the Measurement Tools Rating of A – Psychometrics Well-Demonstrated based on the published, peer-reviewed research available. The tool must have 2 or more published, peer-reviewed studies that have established the measure’s psychometrics (e.g., reliability and validity, sensitivity and specificity, etc.). Please see the Measurement Tools Rating Scale for more information.
View All Research Articles

  • Osman, A., Bagge, C. L., Gutierrez, P. M., Konick, L. C., Kopper, B. A., & Barrios, F. X. (2001). The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R): validation with clinical and nonclinical samples. Assessment, 8(4), 443—454. https://doi.org/10.1177/107319110100800409

    Number of participants: Participants included 120 psychiatric inpatient adolescents, 138 high school students, 120 psychiatric inpatient adults, and 135 undergraduate university students.

    Population:

    • Race/Ethnicity — Psychiatric inpatient adolescents: 80% Caucasian, 5% African American, 9.2% Asian American, 2.5% Hispanic American, and 3.3% Other ethnic groups; High school students: 87% Caucasian, 2.9% African American, 5.8% Asian American, 4.3% Hispanic American; Psy

    Summary:

    The present study examined the reliability and validity of a brief self-report measure of past suicidal behavior, the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). The coefficient alpha estimate ranged from 0.76 (undergraduate sample) to 0.88 (psychiatric adolescent inpatient sample), depending on the sample. Logistic regression analyses provided empirical support for the usefulness of the SBQ-R as a risk measure of suicide to differentiate between suicide-risk and nonsuicidal study participants. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses indicated that the most useful cutoff scores on the SBQ-R were 7 for nonsuicidal samples, and 8 for clinical samples. Both the single SBQ-R Item 1 and SBQ-R total scores are recommended for use in clinical and nonclinical settings.

  • Gutierrez, P. M., Joiner, T., Hanson, J., Stanley, I. H., Silva, C., & Rogers, M. L. (2019). Psychometric properties of four commonly used suicide risk assessment measures: Applicability to military treatment settings. Military Behavioral Health, 7(2), 177—184. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2018.1562390

    Number of participants: 1,044 military service members at risk for suicide

    Population:

    • Race/Ethnicity — 59.7% Caucasian, 21.5% African American, 0.8% Native American or Alaska Native, 3.9% Asian/Pacific Islander, 14.2% Other

    Summary:

    The purpose of the current study was to examine data from a large assessment study to confirm the reliability and validity of 4 widely used suicide risk assessment measures for military personnel. The risk assessment measures were (a) Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale; (b) Self-Harm Behavior Questionnaire; (c) Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire–Revised; and (d) Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. Items from the Military Suicide Research Consortium’s Common Data Elements were used to examine convergent validity. Data from 1,044 military service members at risk for suicide who completed baseline assessments were used in the current analyses. Small differences were found across the measures, but overall performance was acceptable and all are considered valid and reliable to use when assessing active duty U.S. military personnel.

  • Ringer, F. B., Soberay, K. A., Rogers, M. L., Hagan, C. R., Chu, C., Schneider, M., Podlogar, M. C., Witte, T., Holm-Denoma, J., Plant, E. A., Gutierrez, P. M., & Joiner, T. E. (2018). Initial validation of brief measures of suicide risk factors: Common data elements used by the Military Suicide Research Consortium. Psychological assessment, 30(6), 767—778. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000519

    Number of participants: Merged data from 3,140 participants (81.0% military service members, 75.6% male) across 19 studies

    Population:

    • Race/Ethnicity — 66.2% Caucasian, 19.7% African American, 1.0% Native American or Alaska Native, 2.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.4% Multiracial, 9.3% Other

    Summary:

    The Military Suicide Research Consortium (MSRC) developed a 57-item questionnaire assessing suicide risk factors, referred to as the Common Data Elements (CDEs), in order to facilitate data sharing and improve collaboration across independent studies. The CDEs include some complete measures, including the SBQ-R, as well as shortened measures of the following: current and past suicide risk, lethality and intent of past suicide attempts, hopelessness, thwarted belongingness, anxiety sensitivity, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, traumatic brain injury, insomnia, and alcohol abuse. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CDE items drawn from empirically validated measures. Results indicated that all measures exhibited adequate internal consistency, and all CDE shortened measures were significantly correlated with the corresponding full measures with moderate to strong effect sizes. Correlations between the measures illustrated convergent validity across several measures. CDE measures directly assessing suicide-related variables, including the DSI-SS, the SBQ-R, the SIS, and the BSS, were moderately to highly correlated with each other. CDE measures assessing risk factors associated with suicide, such as anxiety sensitivity or hopelessness, were moderately correlated with measures directly assessing suicide risk but less so when compared to the magnitude of correlations between other direct measures of suicide risk as expected. The magnitude of correlations between direct measures of suicide risk were larger than the magnitude of correlations between risk factors associated with suicide and direct measures of suicide risk, with the exception of thwarted belongingness. Factor analyses indicated that the shortened CDE measures performed well in comparison with the full measures.