The Approbation of Hopelessness Scale for Children (HLPS) on Non-Clinical Sample of Russian Students

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the suicide risk predictors among adolescents and consider interrelation between hopelessness and suicide risk to be especially important in this context. Also we provide the results of the empirical approbation of “Hopelessness Scale for Children” (HLPS) by А. Kazdin, A. Rodgers, D. Colbus on non-clinical sample of Russian students. 627 school and college students from Kuzbass region aged 13—18 years old participated in the study. Statistic analyses contained descriptive statistics analyses, correlation analyses, ANOVA, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Student’s t-test. All analyses were performed with STATISTICA 10 and SPSS17. The statistics analyses helped to find among HLPS results two factors emerged using loadings greater than or equal to 0,30 to define the factors. The first factor includes items focused on negative self reflections and giving up. Second factor includes items phrased as positive reflections overall happiness as well as future expectations, which according to measure’s key in the lowest points may be interpreted as negative future expectations. Also the obtained factors and the summary hopelessness positively correlated with depression (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) and mental stress (Nemchin’s Questionnaire), as well as personal and behavioral characteristics such as coping strategies, self esteem, and deviant tendencies among adolescents (Amirkchan’s Questionnaire). We have found the statistical differences in hopelessness between different samples of adolescents, such as school students, lyceum students and college students. Russian version of Hopelessness Scale for Children (HLPS) was proved to be valid and compact measurement for the adolescents screening. And its first factor — negative self reflections and giving up — has the greatest predictive value as predictor of depression and suicide risk among adolescents.