Initial validity and reliability data on the Columbia-suicide severity rating scale

摘要

To the Editor: We welcome the article by Posner et al. (1) in the December 2011 issue that provides initial psychometric data on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Analyses of data on the psychometric properties of the C-SSRS have lagged behind its widespread adoption in clinical trials and other settings. Although retrospective in nature and limited in generalizability, the results presented by Posner et al. support the validity of the C-SSRS and provide evidence for the internal consistency of the ideation intensity subscale. However, published data on interrater reliability of the severity of ideation and behavior subscales of the C-SSRS are limited, inconsistent, and based on different versions of the instrument (2, 3). Additional prospective studies of the interrater reliability of the current instrument are needed.