Scale Overview
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey – Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation Subscale (YRBS-DSI) was developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2013). It is designed to measure Depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 3 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Depressive Symptoms, Suicidal Ideation.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Depressive Symptoms |
1 |
1 |
| Suicidal Ideation |
2,3 |
2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a dichotomous Yes/No format.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 3. Interpretation guidelines:
- No Risk: 0 – 0
- Mild Risk (Depressive Symptoms): 1 – 1
- Moderate to High Risk (Suicidal Ideation/Planning): 2 – 3
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Widely validated epidemiological tool.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 1 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.