Purpose of the Scale

The PSS-5 scale is a tool originally designed to assess various manifestations of suicidal behavior in clinical populations (e.g., death-related thoughts, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts). It is used in general psychopathological assessments as well as in educational, socio-health, and social contexts. Essentially, it aims to gather reliable and valid information about different expressions of suicidal behavior, such as for designing psychological or educational interventions or for detecting suicide risk to conduct a more comprehensive psychological evaluation.

Scale Analysis

The PSS-5 was developed by Paykel et al. (1974) and consists of a total of five questions (items) with a dichotomous Yes/No response format, scored as 1 and 0, respectively. The Paykel scale is considered a brief, simple, and useful tool with adequate psychometric properties for evaluating and/or screening suicidal behavior in adolescent populations.

Scoring and Statistical Analysis

Scoring is as follows: Respondents must answer 5 questions using a Yes/No dichotomous response system, with scores assigned as 1 for “Yes” and 0 for “No.” Higher scores indicate greater severity at a theoretical level.

Validity and Reliability

The PSS-5 scale has been considered reliable for screening psychotic experiences in adolescents from the general population. Risk assessment for psychosis and its relation to other psychopathological risk factors—whether through a close-monitoring strategy or a two-stage model—can aid in the early identification of youth at increased risk for serious mental disorders. The reliability coefficient is high, with Cronbach’s α = 0.92.

References

Ashrafioun, L., Pigeon, W. R., Conner, K. R., Leong, S. H., & Oslin, D. W. (2016). Prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among veterans in primary care referred for a mental health evaluation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 189, 344–350.
Fonseca‐Pedrero, E., Inchausti, F., Pérez‐Albéniz, A., & Ortuño‐Sierra, J. (2018). Validation of the Prodromal Questionnaire–Brief in a representative sample of adolescents: Internal structure, norms, reliability, and links with psychopathology. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 27(4), e1740.
Ghasemi, P., Shaghaghi, A., & Allahverdipour, H. (2015). Measurement scales of suicidal ideation and attitudes: a systematic review article. Health Promotion Perspectives, 5(3), 156.
Paykel, E. S., Myers, J. K., Lindenthal, J. J., & Tanner, J. (1974). Suicidal feelings in the general population: a prevalence study. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 124(582), 460–469.
Sarchiapone, M., Mandelli, L., Carli, V., Iosue, M., Wasserman, C., Hadlaczky, G., … & Wasserman, D. (2014). Hours of sleep in adolescents and its association with anxiety, emotional concerns, and suicidal ideation. Sleep Medicine, 15(2), 248–254.