Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation – PANSI
A self-report instrument designed to measure the frequency of both positive (protective) and negative (risk) thoughts related to suicide.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation – PANSI was developed by Osman, A., Gutierrez, P. M., Jiandani, J., Kopper, B. A., Barrios, F. X., Linden, S. C., & Truelove, R. S. (2003). It is designed to measure Suicidal Ideation. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 14 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Positive Ideation, Negative Ideation.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Positive Ideation | 2,6,8,12,13,14 | 6 |
| Negative Ideation | 1,3,4,5,7,9,10,11 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = None of the time, 2 = Very rarely, 3 = Some of the time, 4 = A good part of the time, 5 = Most of the time.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 14 to 70. Interpretation guidelines:
- Scores should be evaluated separately for the Positive Ideation subscale (range 6-30) and the Negative Ideation subscale (range 8-40). Higher Negative Ideation and lower Positive Ideation indicate higher suicide risk.: 14 – 70
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha typically ranges from .91 to .96 for Negative Ideation and .82 to .89 for Positive Ideation..
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.