Psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Nurses' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk (NGASR) scale.

AIM: People with mental disorders have higher risk of suicide compared to the general population. Assessment of risk factors can help nurses reducing suicidal risk. The Nurses' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk scale (NGASR) has proven valid and reliable in supporting the nursing evaluation of suicidal risk in different studies. The aim of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the NGASR in the Italian population.

METHODS: We translated the scale and administered it to a sample of 121 patients admitted to acute psychiatric wards.

RESULTS: The Content Validity Index-Scale (CVI-S) was 96.7%, the correlation with the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI) score was high (r=.98, p<.001). Inter-rater reliability (rho=.97, p<.001), and test-retest stability (p=.96) were satisfactory. Factor analysis pointed out 5 factors and the 15 items of the NGASR-ita explained 61.29% of total variance. Of the 121 subjects assessed upon admission, 25.62% had average or higher suicidal risk.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The use of valid screening tools in support of Suicide risk assessment is recommended. The NGASR-ita is a valid and reliable tool, suitable for nursing assessment of suicidal risk in the acute psychiatric setting.