Exploring the Validity, Reliability and Standardization of Adult Reasons for Living Inventory

This study investigated the validity, reliability and standardization of Reasons For Living Inventory (Linehen, Goodstin, Chiles & Nilsen, 1983) in Iranian adults.

500 adults (420 from group normal, 80 from group suicide attempters) was selected through multi-stage sampling method (for normal group) and random sampling method (for suicide group) and administered the RFL, Persian version of Beck Scale of Suicide Ideation (BSSI) and Oxford Happens Inventory (OHI).

The results based on item total correlation and dis-crimination degree showed Cornbach's alpha and test-retest coefficient for the scale was 0.95 & 0.93 respectively. The result of principle component analysis (PC) and Promx rotation suggested the stricture of the scale in Iranian population (deleting 1 item without the factor loads) contains 4 factors (Survival and Coping Beliefs and Responsibility to Family, Fear of Suicide, Moral Objections and Child Related Concerns).

Goodness of fit indices of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the 4 extracted factors. The positive correlation coefficients between the factors of RFL and Oxford Happens Inventory confirmed the convergent validity of the scale and the negative correlation coefficients between the factors of RFL and Beck Scale of Suicide Ideation confirmed the congruent validity of the scale. Also differential validity of RFL showed it can discriminate suicide group from non-suicide group.