Validation of the German capability for suicide questionnaire (GCSQ) in a high-risk sample of suicidal inpatients

Sarah Prinz,Heide Glaesmer,Jan C. Cwik,Dajana Rath,Thomas Forkmann,Antje Schönfelder,Georg Juckel,Laura Paashaus,Tobias Teismann

doi:10.1186/s12888-020-02812-9

Abstract

BackgroundThe German Capability for Suicide Questionnaire (GCSQ) was developed to measure fearlessness of death and pain tolerance – two constructs central to the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. Initial scale development, definition of the factor structure and confirmation of the two-dimensional factor structure was performed in samples suffering from relatively low levels of suicide ideation/behavior. The present study aimed to validate the German Capability for Suicide Questionnaire (GCSQ) in a high-risk sample of suicidal inpatients.MethodsFactor structure, reliability and validity were investigated in a sample of inpatients (N = 296; 53.0% female; age in years: M = 36.81, SD = 14.27) admitted to a hospital due to a recent suicide attempt or an acute suicidal crisis (in immediate need of inpatient treatment). To establish convergent validity, interview-based assessments of lifetime suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-injury as well as questionnaire-based assessments of painful and provocative events were used. Finally, stability of GCSQ-scores over a follow-up period of 12 months was assessed.ResultsResults indicated good psychometric properties, and provided additional evidence for construct validity and stability of the subscales over a one-year period, and demonstrated adequate fit of the data with respect to the original factor structure.ConclusionsResults suggest that the GCSQ is a brief, reliable, and valid measure of capability for suicide that can be used in clinic assessment and research.

Highlights

The German Capability for Suicide Questionnaire (GCSQ) was developed to measure fearlessness of death and pain tolerance – two constructs central to the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide
The capability to die by suicide, that is, the ability to endure the dread and pain associated with suicide, is a construct central to the understanding of suicidal behavior [1]
Evidence regarding the central role of capability for suicidal behavior is mixed: some studies have shown that fearlessness about death differentiates between suicide ideators and suicide attempters [4, 7,8,9], whereas others found no differences between suicide attempters and ideators or non-ideators with respect to fearlessness about death [10, 11] or pain tolerance [12]

Summary

Introduction

The German Capability for Suicide Questionnaire (GCSQ) was developed to measure fearlessness of death and pain tolerance – two constructs central to the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. The capability to die by suicide, that is, the ability to endure the dread and pain associated with suicide, is a construct central to the understanding of suicidal behavior [1]. Evidence regarding the central role of capability for suicidal behavior is mixed: some studies have shown that fearlessness about death differentiates between suicide ideators and suicide attempters [4, 7,8,9], whereas others found no differences between suicide attempters and ideators or non-ideators with respect to fearlessness about death [10, 11] or pain tolerance [12]. The relevance of capability of suicide is unquestioned [1], the associations involved might be more complex [17]

Methods

Results

Conclusion