(PS9-A8) Psychometric Properties of the Suicide-related Coping Scale

The Suicide-Related Coping Scale (SRCS) assesses perceived ability to use internal coping strategies and external resources to manage suicidal thoughts. Suicide-related coping is critical to suicide prevention, as suicide-specific interventions often target increasing ability to cope with suicidal thoughts rather than decreasing suicidal thoughts themselves. The SRCS contains subscales assessing External Coping (7 items; e.g., “I know which friends and/or family members to contact to help take my mind off my suicidal feelings”) and Internal Coping (7 items; e.g., “Even if I am alone, there are things I can do to take my mind off my suicidal feelings and thoughts for at least a while”), as well as 3 items included in the total score but neither subscale. Psychometric properties (factor structure, internal consistency, sensitivity to change, and convergent validity) of the SRCS have only been examined in one sample (veterans and military service members; 80% male, 55% non-Hispanic White, mean age = 41; Stanley et al., 2017), and replication and extension to other samples is needed. Validating the SRCS in young adults is important given their high rates of suicidal thoughts (Han et al., 2018). We examined psychometric properties of the SRCS in a sample of 681 undergraduate students (75% women, 58% non-Hispanic White, mean age = 19) with a history of suicidal thoughts or attempt. A confirmatory factor analysis of the original factor structure showed adequate model fit according to CFI (.93) and poor model fit according to RMSEA (.11). Modification indices were used to identify changes to improve model fit. First, one item (“Seeking help from health care professionals is a good way to keep myself safe when I am feeling suicidal”) was moved from the Internal Coping subscale to the External Coping subscale due to its conceptual fit with External Coping. Next, the three items included only in the total score were loaded onto the Internal Coping subscale, as they had very low factor loadings (< .20) on the External Coping subscale and adequate factor loadings (≥ .45) on the Internal Coping subscale. These items reflect general beliefs about coping with suicidal thoughts (e.g., “I do not think there is anything that I can do to help myself when I am feeling suicidal”) and resemble other items on the Internal Coping subscale (e.g., “I cannot do anything to control my suicidal thoughts”). The final model exhibited good fit according to CFI (.95) and fair fit according to RMSEA (.09) with factor loadings ranging from .45 to .87. SRCS total and subscale scores showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s as = .82 to .88) and moderate evidence of convergent validity with the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (Pearson’s rs = .27 to .44) and the Perceived Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Services Scale (Pearson’s rs = -.41 to -.53), consistent with the initial psychometric testing. We will also expand on prior psychometric work by examining test-retest data (data collection ongoing during spring 2023). Results support an updated SRCS factor structure. Validation of the SRCS in additional samples is critical for future research on correlates of effective suicide-related coping and development and testing of suicide prevention interventions.