Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R)
A brief self-report measure designed to assess lifetime and past-year suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and future likelihood of suicidal behavior.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) was developed by Osman et al. (1999). It is designed to measure Suicidal behavior and ideation. The scale is intended for use with Adults (general and clinical populations).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 4 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: Item 1: 1 = Never, Item 1: 2 = It was just a brief passing thought, Item 1: 3 = I have had a plan at least once to kill myself but did not try to do it / really wanted to die, Item 1: 4 = I have attempted to kill myself, but did not want to die / really hoped to die, Item 2: 1 = Never, Item 2: 2 = Rarely (1 time), Item 2: 3 = Sometimes (2 times), Item 2: 4 = Often (3-4 times), Item 2: 5 = Very Often (5 or more times), Item 3: 1 = No, Item 3: 2 = Yes, at one time, but did not really want to die / really wanted to die, Item 3: 3 = Yes, more than once, but did not want to do it / really wanted to do it, Item 4: 0 = Never, Item 4: 1 = No chance at all, Item 4: 2 = Rather unlikely, Item 4: 3 = Unlikely, Item 4: 4 = Likely, Item 4: 5 = Rather likely, Item 4: 6 = Very likely.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 3 to 18. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Risk: 3 – 6
- At Risk (General Population Cutoff): 7 – 7
- High Risk (Clinical Cutoff): 8 – 18
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 2 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.