The Self-Hate Scale: Development and validation of a brief measure and its relationship to suicidal ideation

Adrienne I. Turnell, Daniel B. Fassnacht, Philip J. Batterham, Alison L. Calear, Michael Kyrios

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: The “self” has been implicated in the development of a range of psychological disorders. While a growing body of literature has emerged exploring the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS), little research has been conducted on the construct of self-hate and its relationship with suicidal ideation. The aims of this study were to: 1) develop and validate a brief self-report instrument of self-hate; and, 2) explore the relationship between self-hate, suicidal ideation, and the two main factors of the IPTS, perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Methods: Initial development of the item pool involved an expert panel and the development of the Self-Hate Scale included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using a large community sample. Results: A 7-item Self-Hate Scale was developed, which exhibited a reliable unidimensional factor structure. High self-hate was found to predict suicidal ideation, while the relationship between low/moderate self-hate and suicidal ideation was partially moderated by the level of thwarted belongingness. The study provided limited evidence for the IPTS’ main predictions. Limitations: While the current study provided support for the psychometric properties of the Self-Hate Scale, the scale will need to be replicated and validated using clinical populations. Conclusions: The Self-Hate Scale is a brief, psychometrically valid measure of self-hate that has the potential to be useful in suicide risk assessment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)779-787
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Affective Disorders
Volume245
Early online date5 Nov 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Feb 2019

Keywords

  • Interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide
  • Perceived burdensomeness
  • Scale
  • Self-hate
  • Suicidal ideation
  • Thwarted belongingness

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