Turkish Adaptation of the Psychological Strain Scale in a Non-Clinical Sample of Emerging Adults

Suicidal behavior is a severe global health problem. For the period of emerging adulthood in particular, it represents the second-leading cause of death, followed by unintentional injuries. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop/diversify the methods and tools that can detect the factors that make individuals vulnerable to experiencing suicidal thoughts. Strain Theory of Suicide (STS), which aims to explain socio-psychological agencies preceding suicidal behavior, hypothesizes that opposing and rivaling pressures coming from four sources (i.e., value, aspiration, deprivation, and coping) lead to suicidal behavior. In light of the premises offered by the STS, the present study aimed to adapt the Psychological Strain Scale (PSS) in Turkish and test its validity and reliability in a non-clinical sample of emerging adults. Participants were emerging adults whose ages ranged between 18 and 29. Three-hundred-ninety-eight individuals (60.05% of women) filled out the survey package consisting of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, Psychological Strain Scale, Suicide Probability Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Construct and concurrent validity evidence was ensured by exploring the factor structure of the instrument through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and by investigating the relationship between the scores obtained from PSS and other criterion measures. Reliability evidence was ensured through the internal consistency method. Multigroup analysis indicated that the factor structure of the PSS was invariant across gender. The results of the psychometric testing offered tangible evidence for the usefulness of the PSS as a measure of vulnerability to suicidal thoughts among emerging adults.