The association between the Kessler 10 and suicidality: a cross-sectional analysis

Abstract Objective The aims of this study were to test the psychometric properties of the Kessler 10 (K10) in a clinical setting and to investigate the utility of the K10 as a means for identifying suicidality. Methods One hundred forty-nine inpatients at an inpatient psychiatric hospital completed a battery of assessments during their inpatient hospital stay. Factor analysis provided information suggesting multiple factor loadings present within the K10. A series of t tests examined differences of group means between suicidal participants and a control group, whereas multiple regression models examined the correlation between the K10 and several suicide-specific assessments. Main Results The K10 seems to be composed of 2 primary factors (depression and anxiety) and differentiated suicidal and nonsuicidal inpatients and was associated with several measures related to suicidality. Conclusions The observed results indicate that the K10 may be an effective screener to measure occult suicidality in a clinical setting.