Validation of the Korean Depressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Subscale

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to validate a Korean version of the self-report Depressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Subscale (DSI-SS).

Methods: 553 South Korean undergraduate students (aged 18-34 years, 74.8% females) completed questionnaires. Participants completed Korean versions of the self-report Depressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Subscale (DSI-SS), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS), and a measure of suicide-related symptom history.

Results: Results indicated that the DSI-SS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α=0.93) and strong convergent validity with the BDI (r=0.57, p<0.01), ISI (r=0.27, p<0.01), and BSS (r=0.70, p<0.01). DSI-SS scores also significantly differentiated between those reporting a history of suicide attempts compared to non-suicide attempters [t (38.80)=-3.28, p<0.05].

Conclusion: Given the brevity of this measure, and evidence for its validity, the Korean version of the DSI-SS may be particularly promising for clinical and empirical use as a screening tool among South Korean undergraduates.

Keywords: Korea; Risk assessment; Suicidal ideation; Suicide attempted; Validation studies.