Controllability of Suicidal Thoughts Scale – CoST
Measures an individual's perceived control over their suicidal thoughts.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Controllability of Suicidal Thoughts Scale – CoST was developed by Brianna Meddaoui, Bianca C. Iddiols, & Erin A. Kaufman (2023). It is designed to measure Perceived control over suicidal thoughts. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 10 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: General Control, Changing Thought Content.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| General Control | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 | 7 |
| Changing Thought Content | 8,9,10 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 7-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 7 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 6 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 10 to 70. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Perceived Control: 10 – 30
- Moderate Perceived Control: 31 – 50
- High Perceived Control: 51 – 70
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.92.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 3 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.