The Life Attitudes Schedule–Short Form: Psychometric Properties and Correlates of Adolescent Suicide Proneness

The goals of the present study were to describe the psychometric properties of the Life Attitudes Schedule–Short Form (LAS–SF) in adolescents and provide criterion and construct validity data, including bivariate and multivariate associations with related risk behaviors. Anonymous questionnaires containing the LAS–SF and related measures were administered to 1, 742 high school students in three states. Psychometric properties for LAS–SF items and total score were very good, and the LAS–SF was correlated with almost all of the examined risk behaviors, illustrating the broad range of problems measured by the instrument. LAS–SF total scores were associated with past suicide attempt, even after controlling for the impact of current depression. Clinical and research uses for the LAS–SF are discussed.