# Psychometric validation of the Paykel Suicidal Behavior Scale in Mexican adolescents

## TL;DR

This study validates a Spanish version of a suicide risk assessment tool for Mexican adolescents and finds it effective for school-based mental health screening.

## Contribution

The study provides psychometric validation and an optimal cutoff for the Paykel Suicidal Behavior Scale in Mexican adolescents.

## Key findings

- The Spanish version of the Paykel Suicidal Behavior Scale showed acceptable psychometric properties and factorial invariance.
- An optimal cutoff score of ≥1.0 was identified with 75.93% sensitivity and 76.54% specificity for detecting suicide risk.
- The scale demonstrated strong correlations with depression, anxiety, and stress measures, supporting its validity.

## Abstract

To psychometrically validate the Spanish version of the Paykel Suicidal Behavior Scale in the Mexican adolescent population, and to establish an optimal cut-off point to identify risk of suicidal behavior in school contexts.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 with a non-probabilistic sample of 1,407 students from eight public high schools in the state of Morelos, Mexico. The mean age was 17 years, 58.7% were female and 41.3% were male. The students completed an online questionnaire that included the Paykel Suicidal Behavior Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. A confirmatory factor analysis, item response theory, factorial invariance analysis (by sex, gender identity, and school grade), divergent validity analysis, and ROC curves were applied in this study.

The confirmatory factor analysis was found to be acceptable. The factor loadings ranged from 0.799 to 0.938. Item discrimination parameters were elevated (2.33 to 6.63), with difficulties ranging from 0.17 to 1.11. Factor invariance was confirmed in all subgroups. The divergent validity of the Paykel Suicidal Behavior Scale was satisfactory, as evidenced by its moderate correlations with the Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (r = 0.507), depression (r = 0.644), anxiety (r = 0.570), and stress (r = 0.541). ROC analysis identified an optimal cutoff point of ≥ 1.0, with sensitivity of 75.93% and specificity of 76.54%.

The Mexican version of the Paykel Suicidal Behavior Scale demonstrates robust psychometric properties, including validity, reliability, and factorial invariance in the adolescent school population. The scale’s brevity, clarity, and ease of application make it an effective tool for school screening, allowing for timely detection and referral to mental health services. Its use is recommended in adolescent suicide prevention programs in educational contexts in Mexico.