Suicide Crisis Inventory-2: factor structure, internal consistency, and validity in a Brazilian sample

ABSTRACT

Objective: To evaluate the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Brazilian version of the Suicide Crisis Inventory-2 (SCI-2) among Brazilian adults. Methods: The SCI-2 was cross-culturally adapted into Portuguese and administered to 2,265 Brazilian participants. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess factor structure, internal consistency, convergent validity, and criterion validity by using measures such as suicidal narratives, stressful life events, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Results: The revised one-factor model of the SCI-2 demonstrated an adequate, although not optimal, model fit (χ2[1539] = 31,442.79, p < 0.001, comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.99, Tucker-Lewis index [TLI] = 0.99, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.09, standardized root mean residual [SRMR] = 0.05). The revised five-factor model, on the other hand, demonstrated good fit (χ2[1529] = 14,174.86, p < 0.001, CFI = 1.00, TLI = 1.00, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.04). Comparison of these two models indicated that the five-factor model had a better fit than the one-factor model. Both the total and subscale scores of the SCI-2 showed strong internal consistency and good convergent and criterion validity in relation to stressful life events, suicidal narratives (excluding the goal disengagement subscale), suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the Brazilian version of the SCI-2 is a valid tool for assessing symptoms of suicidal crisis syndrome.