Cited by 101Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesHomicide, Infanticide, and Child AbuseGrief, Bereavement, and Mental Health

Assessing motivations for suicide attempts: development and psychometric properties of the inventory of motivations for suicide attempts.

May, Alexis M., Klonsky, E. David·2013·Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior

Abstract

This study describes the psychometric properties of the Inventory of Motivations for Suicide Attempts (IMSA). The IMSA was designed to comprehensively assess motivations for suicide emphasized by major theories of suicidality. The IMSA was administered to two samples of recent suicide attempters, undergraduates (n = 66) and outpatients (n = 53). The IMSA exhibited a reliable two-factor structure in which one factor represented Intrapersonal motivations related to ending emotional pain, and the second represented Interpersonal motivations related to communication or help-seeking. Convergent validity and divergent validity of IMSA scales were supported by expected patterns of correlations with another measure of suicide motivations. In addition, the IMSA scales displayed clinical utility, in which greater endorsement of intrapersonal motivations was associated with greater intent to die, whereas greater endorsement of interpersonal motivations was associated with less lethal intent and greater likelihood of rescue. Findings suggest the IMSA can be of use for both research and clinical purposes when a comprehensive assessment of suicide motivations is desired.

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Crossref · 10.1111/sltb.12037

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  • When a suicidal individual is in crisis, intent to die and a motivation for ending their life act as precipitating mechanisms.

    “When a suicidal individual is in crisis, intent to die and a motivation for ending their life act as precipitating mechanisms (Silverman et al., 2007; May and Klonsky, 2013).”

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Authors
May, A. M., & Klonsky, E. D.
Affiliations
University of British Columbia (CA)
Corresponding author
May, Alexis M.
Venue
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2013-06
Volume
43
Issue
5
Pages
532-546
ISSN
  • 0363-0234 (ISSN-L)
  • 1943-278X
OpenAlex
W1976870548
Cited by
101
References
40
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2013: 1
FWCI
4.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
Keywords
suicide attempts, suicide motives, psychometric properties, interpersonal motivation, emotional pain, help-seeking, suicide risk assessment, suicide theory
MeSH terms
Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Motivation, Personality Inventory, Psychometrics, Suicide, Suicide, Attempted, Risk Assessment

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