Assessing suicide risk accurately remains a major challenge in clinical practice. Although several instruments exist, few self-report measures simultaneously assess suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior while distinguishing between recent and lifetime risk in Spanish-speaking populations.
In this regard, Sánchez et al. (2026) validated the Suicidal History Self-Rating Scale (SHSS) to Spanish language, one of the few existing measures to concurrently assess for both suicidal and ideation and behaviour. To this end, the authors evaluated the psychometric properties, factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Spanish SHSS in 817 Spanish young adults (18–35 years). Confirmatory Factor Analyses comparing one and two factors, alongside bifactor model analysis, were conducted, using the Paykel Suicide Scale (PSS) for concurrent validation.
A bifactor model solution for suicidal history assessment
After rigorous data inspection and model comparison, the bifactor model showed the best fit, supporting a general suicide risk factor together with specific dimensions of suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior. Moreover, the scale demonstrated excellent reliability (ω = 0.96–0.97), and strong concurrent validity with the PSS (ρ = 0.645–0.695).
Above all, this validation provided an important contribution due to its dual temporal assessment. Indeed, in the past 12 months suicidal ideation provided particularly useful information about acute or imminent risk; meanwhile for lifetime history suicidal behavior better captured chronic vulnerability and ‘acquired capability’ for suicide.
Clinical implications for evaluating suicidal history in different time assessments
The Spanish-validated SHSS offers a brief, multidimensional, self-administered alternative to longer clinician-rated instruments. Additionally, this scale may be particularly useful for screening in healthcare settings, in emergency psychiatry, for risk stratification, and for identifying individuals requiring more comprehensive clinical assessment.
Nevertheless, the authors acknowledged several minor methodological limitations (e.g., convenience sample; cross-sectional design), and a possible floor effect due to the low prevalence of suicidality in the general population. Moreover, further validation is needed in clinical populations, accompanied by robust longitudinal studies.
In conclusion, the Spanish-validated SHSS is a reliable, valid, and clinically useful instrument for assessing suicide risk in young adults. Its ability to distinguish between recent suicidal ideation and lifetime suicidal behavior provides clinically meaningful information that may improve both early detection and long-term suicide risk monitoring, making it a promising screening tool for Spanish-speaking settings.
