Scale Overview
The Attitudes Towards Suicide – ATTS was developed by Renberg & Jacobsson (2003). It is designed to measure Attitudes towards suicide. The scale is intended for use with General population.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 37 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Preventability, Right to Suicide, Comprehensibility, Taboo and Avoidance, Communication, Other Attitudes.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Preventability |
1,6,9,21,30,37 |
6 |
| Right to Suicide |
2,5,16,20,24,29,32,34,36 |
9 |
| Comprehensibility |
14,18,19,25,27 |
5 |
| Taboo and Avoidance |
11,13,23 |
3 |
| Communication |
12,17,26,33 |
4 |
| Other Attitudes |
3,4,7,8,10,15,22,28,31,35 |
10 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 5 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 37 to 185. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low endorsement of permissive/preventative attitudes: 37 – 85
- Moderate/Neutral attitudes: 86 – 135
- High endorsement of permissive/preventative attitudes: 136 – 185
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Varies by subscale (typically Cronbach's alpha 0.50 – 0.80).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.