Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Suicidal behavior--Risk factors; Teenagers--Suicidal behavior; Teenagers--Suicidal behavior--Prevention;
Abstract
Research in psychiatric and combined populations suggests the Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents is a reliable and valid measure that is potentially useful in the assessment of adolescent suicidal behavior (Gutierrez, Osman, Kopper, & Barrios, 2000; Osman, Downs, et al., 1998). However, research has yet to focus on the use of this measure in non-clinical populations where suicidal risk is less apparent. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the psychometric properties (i.e., reliability, validity) of the RFL-A in a population of high school adolescents. A group of210 (108 boys and 102 girls) high school students at the Price Laboratory School in Cedar Falls, Iowa, completed the RFL-A and a packet of five self-report measures. Results of the analysis showed that the sample was adequate, as indicated by the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin estimate of .944. Consistent with the previous factor solutions from the Osman, Downs, et al. study (1998), five factors emerged in the current study: Future Optimism (FO), Suicide Related Concerns (SRC), Peer-Acceptance and Support (PAS), Family Alliance (FA), and Self-Acceptance (SA). The RFL-A showed strong internal consistency within each gender group and in the combined sample. Corrected item-total scale correlations were .30 or higher, whereas the Cronbach alpha estimate was .70 or higher for each factor scale, as well as for the total inventory. Significant gender differences occurred in two of the five RFL-A scales; girls obtained statistically significant higher scores than boys on the SRC and PAS subscales. Gender differences in the patterns of relationships between each RFL-A subscale score and the positive and negative risk measures utilized in this study were also addressed. Results of the present study determined that the RFL-A is a valid and reliable measure of adolescent suicide risk potential for use with high school boys and girls. A brief discussion of the clinical utility of the RFL-A is included along with suggestions for future research.
Year of Submission
2001
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Psychology
First Advisor
Augustine Osman
Second Advisor
Beverly Kopper
Third Advisor
Jane Wong
Date Original
2001
Object Description
1 PDF file (75 leaves)
Copyright
©2001 Laura Ann Kaufman
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Kaufman, Laura Ann, "The Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents: Assessment of the Psychometric Properties in a High School Population" (2001). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 3131.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/3131
Comments
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