Factor structure of the Beck Hopelessness Scale

The factor structure of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS; Beck & Steer, 1988) was examined among 411 outpatients (male = 132, female = 272, unknown = 7). Varimax-rotated principal-components analysis extracted three factors greater than unity that accounted for 40.4%, 6.9%, and 5.6% of the variance. Because the structure was invariant across factor rotations and levels of hopelessness severity, it is concluded that the BHS consists of three factors (Expectations of Success, Expectations of Failure, and Future Uncertainty).