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Recent work has identified fearlessness about suicide, rather than fearlessness about death, as more theoretically relevant in the assessment of capability for suicide and thus a more appropriate construct of measurement. The aim of the current project was to develop and validate a scale specifically assessing fearlessness about suicide. Across two studies, support for a 7-item, single-factor structure of the Fearlessness About Suicide Scale (FSS) emerged. The FSS factor structure demonstrated a good fit in the first study and was replicated in the second study. Measurement invariance was examined across those identifying as men and women and found to be comparable. The FSS also demonstrated test–rest reliability and good convergent and divergent validity in community and undergraduate samples. Overall, findings indicate that the FSS has a replicable factor structure that generalizes across those identifying as men and women and may better assess components of capability for suicide than existing scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Eating disorder (ED), depression, and anxiety symptoms at admission and discharge were compared, as were admission‐to‐discharge changes, for transgender and gender diverse (TGD), and cisgender adolescents receiving intensive treatment for EDs. Method: Participants were 44 TGD and 573 cisgender adolescents admitted to a treatment facility. Participants completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE‐Q), Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7 (GAD‐7) at admission and discharge. Results: Both groups had elevated EDE‐Q scores at admission (TGD: M = 3.78, standard deviation [SD] = 1.70; cisgender: M = 3.33, SD = 1.74) that improved by discharge (TGD: M = 2.27, SD = 1.83, Cohen's d =.98; cisgender: M = 2.10, SD = 1.54, Cohen's d =.79); there were no differences in EDE‐Q between groups at admission (p =.09; odds ratio [OR] = 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] [.98, 1.44]) or discharge (p =.48; OR = 1.07, 95% CI [.88, 1.30]). On admission, TGD adolescents had higher suicidality, measured by PHQ‐9, item 9 (p <.001; OR = 1.94, 95% CI [1.51, 2.52]), and depression (p <.001; OR = 1.10, 95% CI [1.05, 1.16]) than cisgender participants. Severity decreased over treatment for all measures. Both groups showed similar improvement on suicidality (p =.93; OR =.98, 95% CI [.70,1.36]), depression (p =.42; OR = 1.02, 95% CI [.97, 1.07]), and anxiety (p =.14; OR = 1.05, 95% CI [.99, 1.12]). However, at discharge, suicidality (p =.02; OR = 1.40, 95% CI [1.04, 1.85]), depression (p <.01; OR = 1.06, 95% CI [1.02, 1.11]), and anxiety (p =.02; OR = 1.06, 95% CI [1.01, 1.12]) were higher for TGD adolescents than their cisgender peers. Discussion: All participants had similar ED symptom severity and improvement. Depression, anxiety, and suicidality remained elevated for TGD adolescents compared to their cisgender peers at discharge, suggesting the need for targeted treatment. Public Significance: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adolescents have increased risk of eating disorders (EDs); few studies examine how they respond to ED treatment. We examine treatment outcomes of TGD adolescents receiving ED treatment compared to their cisgender peers. We measured ED symptoms along with depression, anxiety, and suicidality at the beginning and end of treatment. While TGD adolescents showed similar improvement in ED symptoms, measures of depression, anxiety, and suicidality remained elevated at the time of discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active service members and Veterans with a combat-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) are four times more likely to attempt suicide than those without a TBI. TBIs are the signature injuries of the Post-9/11 conflicts and Combat Veterans (i.e., current and former service members who deployed in support of a combat mission) with these injuries are entitled to receive the Purple Heart medal. However, potentially tens of thousands of Combat Veterans did not receive, or were denied the Purple Heart during the first decade of the Global War on Terrorism because a TBI was not documented during the deployment. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the meaning of the Purple Heart and examine the impact of the Purple Heart on Army Combat Veterans with a combat-related TBI. Findings from this mixed methods study revealed that not receiving the Purple Heart is associated with increased suicide risk and lower quality of life after a brain injury. Additionally, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and perceived military institutional betrayal are associated with increased suicide risk in Army Combat Veterans with a TBI. This mixed methods study provides important insights into how Army culture is perceived and the power of the Purple Heart among this high-risk group of Combat Veterans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the frame of the interpersonal psychological theory of suicide (IPTS), Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ-15) assesses thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB), related to suicidal ideation (SI); Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale–Fearlessness About Death (ACSS-FAD) measures this component which contributes to lethal self-harm. The objective was to evaluate the psychometric properties of INQ-15 and ACSS-FAD in a population of Italian university students. Since the Italian INQ-15 was already validated, we translated ACSS-FAD through a multistage procedure and administered both to 1,665 Italian university students. Factor analysis confirmed a two-factor-related model of INQ-15, one factor of ACSS-FAD, and good reliability for both. We proved the association between INQ-15 and current SI and between ACSS-FAD and lifetime suicidal planning and/or suicide attempt. The convergent and discriminant validities were in line with those of previous studies. Both tools are valid and reliable to assess the constructs associated with suicide outcomes according to IPTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]