Ga. Clum et al., AN INVESTIGATION OF THE VALIDITY OF THE SPSI AND SPSI-R IN DIFFERENTIATING HIGH-SUICIDAL FROM DEPRESSED, LOW-SUICIDAL COLLEGE-STUDENTS, Journal of psychopathology and behavioral assessment, 18(2), 1996, pp. 119-132
The present study examined the validity of the Social Problem-Solving
Inventory (SPSI) and SPSI-Revised in differentiating 65 high-suicidal
from 63 depressed, low-suicidal college students. Results from multiva
riate analyses indicated overall differences in problem-solving betwee
n these two groups as measured by the SPSI but not by the SPSI-R. Furt
her examination of these differences revealed the high-suicidal group
was different in problem-solving orientation rather than problem-solvi
ng skills, compared to the depressed, low-suicidal group. However when
depression was statistically controlled in hierarchical regression an
alyses, none of the problem-solving measures predicted group membershi
p. The superiority of the SPSI to the SPSI-R in differentiating these
two groups appears to be accounted for by the elimination of 28 items
in the revised version, many of which measure orientation to problem-s
olving. Also explored was the possibility that objective measures of p
roblem-solving provide a better prediction of adjustment than do self-
report measures.