Assessing Chinese older adults' suicidal ideation: Chinese version of the Geriatric Suicide Ideation Scale

Abstract

The psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Geriatric Suicide Ideation Scale (GSIS-C) were investigated in a sample of 154 Hong Kong Chinese older adults. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, face validity, convergent and divergent validities of the GSIS-C were assessed and all of them were well above acceptable levels. The GSIS-C demonstrated excellent internal consistency including the four subscales and the test-retest reliability of the GSIS-C was also good. In terms of convergent validity, the GSIS-C correlated significantly and positively with depression (assessed by CES-D), loneliness (assessed by Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale), and hopelessness (assessed by Beck's Hop'elessness Scale). The divergent validity of the GSIS-C was demonstrated by the negative but significant, association between the GSIS-C and two variables including self-rated health status and life satisfaction (assessed by Life Satisfaction Inventory-Version A).