The Modified Scale for Suicidal Ideation: reliability and validity.

A modified version of the Scale for Suicidal Ideation was developed for use by paraprofessionals. The modifications included (a) addition of standardized prompt questions, (b) a standardized sequence of administration, (c) modification of the rating points to increase their specificity and range, (d) development of initial screening scores, and (e) selection of items for inclusion in the scale based on internal consistency and relationships with clinical ratings. The MSSI (a) demonstrated excellent internal consistency and interrater reliability, (b) correlated highly with experienced clinician's ratings of suicidal ideation and risk, and (c) discriminated between suicide attempters and nonattempters prior to hospitalization.