Reasons for Living Inventory – RFL

Q: How many questions does the Reasons for Living Inventory – RFL have?

The Reasons for Living Inventory – RFL contains 48 items and takes approximately 12 minutes to complete.

Q: How is the Reasons for Living Inventory – RFL scored?

Scores range from 48 to 288. Interpretation levels: Low reasons for living (higher suicide risk) (48-144), High reasons for living (lower suicide risk) (145-288).

Q: Is the Reasons for Living Inventory – RFL free?

Yes, this assessment is completely free. You will receive your results immediately after completion, with an optional AI-powered personalized interpretation.

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Scale Development & Technical Details

Scale Overview

The Reasons for Living Inventory – RFL was developed by Marsha M. Linehan, John L. Goodstein, Stevan L. Nielsen, John A. Chiles (1983). It is designed to measure Reasons for living / protective factors against suicide. The scale is intended for use with Adults.

Scale Structure

This instrument consists of 48 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Survival and Coping Beliefs, Responsibility to Family, Child-Related Concerns, Fear of Suicide, Fear of Social Disapproval, Moral Objections.

Factor / Subscale	Items	N
Survival and Coping Beliefs	2,3,4,8,10,12,13,14,17,19,20,22,24,25,29,32,35,36,37,39,40,42,44,45	24
Responsibility to Family	1,7,9,16,30,47,48	7
Child-Related Concerns	11,21,28	3
Fear of Suicide	6,15,18,26,33,38,46	7
Fear of Social Disapproval	31,41,43	3
Moral Objections	5,23,27,34	4

Response Format

Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.

Response anchors: 1 = Not At All Important (or does not apply to me), 2 = Quite Unimportant, 3 = Somewhat Unimportant, 4 = Somewhat Important, 5 = Quite Important, 6 = Extremely Important.

Scoring

Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.

Total scores range from 48 to 288. Interpretation guidelines:

Low reasons for living (higher suicide risk): 48 – 144
High reasons for living (lower suicide risk): 145 – 288

Psychometric Properties

Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from .72 to .89 for subscales.

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.