Factor Structure and Validation of the Revised Suicide Crisis Inventory in a Korean Population

Objective Because of the exceptionally high suicide rates in South Korea, new assessment methods are needed to improve suicide pre-vention. The current study aims to validate the revised Suicide Crisis Inventory-2 (SCI-2), a self-report measure that assesses a cognitive-affective pre-suicidal state in a Korean sample. Methods With data from 1,061 community adults in South Korea, confirmatory factor analyses were first conducted to test the pro-posed one-factor and five-factor structures of the SCI-2. Also, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to examine possible alternative factor structure of the inventory. Results The one-factor model of the SCI-2 resulted in good model fit and similarly, the five-factor model also exhibited strong fit. Comparing the two models, the five-factor was evaluated as the superior model fit. An alternative 4-factor model derived from EFA exhibited a comparable model fit. The Korean version of the SCI-2 had high internal consistency and strong concurrent validity in relation to symptoms of suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety. Conclusion The SCI-2 is an appropriate and a valid tool for measuring one’s proximity to imminent suicide risk. However, the exact factor structure of the SCI-2 may be culture-sensitive and warrants further study.