Expanding the Measurement of Suicidal Desire: The Creation and Evaluation of the Suicidal Desire Variability Scale in Three Adult Samples

This manuscript details a three-study development and preliminary investigation of the Suicidal Desire Variability Scale (SDVS), a self-report retrospective measure of past-week suicidal desire fluctuation. Exploratory factor analyses of the initial 17-item measure performed in 216 (Study 1) undergraduate students experiencing recent suicidal ideation (SI) and confirmatory factor analyses performed in 371 (Study 2) adults with past-week SI demonstrated a two-factor solution of nine original items representing fluctuation in SI (SDVS Dynamic) and minimal change (SDVS Static). Subscales evinced small to moderate correlations with affect and emotional lability as well as no or small relationships with SI severity and its correlates (e.g., wish to live) in Study 2. Study 3 was an ecological momentary assessment investigation of 40 undergraduate students who completed the SDVS following a 10-day ambulatory phase. Retrospective SDVS subscale scores demonstrated moderate correlations with one measure of suicidal desire dynamics assessed across the ambulatory phase.