O-32 Measuring university student suicide risk in Barbados: Psychometric properties of the SBQ-R

Methods: The SBQ-R was distributed online to all current students at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, from October 2021 to March 2022 as part of the National College Health Assessment. We calculated scores by sex; evaluated internal consistency; assessed concurrent validity by comparison with relevant criterion measures; and examined the configural invariance of the SBQ-R via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

Results: Over six hundred (643) students completed some or all of the SBQ-R. The mean score for biological females was 6.19 and, for males, 6.05. 231 students (35.6%) screened positive for suicide risk using the US-based non-clinical population cutoff score of ≥ 7, including 185 females (37.7 %) and 46 males (32.2 %). There were no significant gender differences in scale scores or assignment of risk. Internal consistency was very good (ω = .85), and the SBQ-R correlated in the theoretically expected direction with five measures of concurrent validity. CFA supported a unidimensional factor structure, consistent with findings from previous studies.

Conclusion: The percentage of students exceeding the cutoff score for suicide risk is concerning. However, caution in generalising findings is warranted given voluntary response sampling, collection of data during COVID-19 lockdown, and use of cutoff scores established outside the region. This study provides evidence for reliability as well as criterion and construct-related validity of the SBQ-R. Future research should evaluate the instrument in broader Caribbean populations and estimate cutoff scores specific to these groups.