Assessing attitudes toward suicide: Validation of a Spanish instrument for nursing home staff and mental health students

Suicide represents a significant global health concern. It is the third foremost cause of external mortality globally and the second leading cause of mortality in Spain, with rates showing a consistent upward trend. Older adults, especially those over 85, are particularly affected, emphasizing the need for enhanced prevention strategies. Health professionals play a pivotal role, as their knowledge and attitudes can substantially impact outcomes. Despite existing tools to assess attitudes, reliable and culturally adapted instruments to evaluate training programs efficacy are lacking. This study aims to validate the Spanish version of the Suicide Behavioral Attitude Questionnaire (SBAQ), which evaluates healthcare professionals’ attitudes and competencies in suicide prevention. Internal structure, reliability, and invariance were assessed in 464 participants, including nursing home professionals and nursing and psychology students. The Spanish SBAQ-10 showed evidence of validity and acceptable reliability, with psychometric properties comparable to those reported in previous adaptations.Differences between professionals and students highlight the influence of training, underlining the importance of specialized education.