Linguistic Validation of the Pediatric Versions of the Sheehan Suicidality Tracking Scale (S-STS).

OBJECTIVE

The United States Food and Drug Administration meta-analysis of registration trials of antidepressants found that emergent suicidality under the age of 25 years increases with decreasing age. This led to boxed warnings for antidepressants and the recommendation for careful assessment and monitoring of suicidality in children and adolescents. To address this need, we describe the development of a pediatric suicidality assessment and tracking scale and a novel, empirically based approach to its age-appropriate linguistic validation.

METHOD

Starting with the adult version of the Sheehan-Suicidality Tracking Scale, we collaborated with reading specialists who use the sight word lists of Dolch and Fry and the grade level vocabulary lists of Beck, Farr, and Strickland to adapt the adult version to each age group.

RESULTS

Our approach resulted in the development and documentation of a process for linguistically validating three age-appropriate pediatric versions of the Sheehan-Suicidality Tracking Scale from the adult version of the scale: one for 6- to 8-year-olds, a second for 9- to 12-year-olds, and a third for 13- to 17-year-olds.

CONCLUSION

Further reliability and cognitive debriefing studies are needed in diverse demographic, ethnic, and cultural groups to make the pediatric versions of the Sheehan-Suicidality Tracking Scale more reliable, more generalizable, and more useful.