The Beck scale for suicidal ideation: linguistic adaptation and psychometric validation of the Kazakh version

Abstract

The relevance of the present study is determined by the lack of validated psychometric instruments for assessing suicidal ideation in the Kazakh language, which significantly limits both its scientific investigation and practical psychological assessment within the national context. The aim of this study was to conduct a linguistic adaptation and primary psychometric validation of the Kazakh version of the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI).

The study involved 150 university students aged 18 to 21 years. The adaptation procedure was carried out in accordance with international guidelines for the cross-cultural adaptation of psychodiagnostic instruments and included forward and backward translation, expert evaluation, and pilot testing. Scale reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and test–retest correlation. Construct validity was examined through principal component analysis.

The results demonstrated a high level of internal consistency (α=0.89) and satisfactory temporal stability over a two-week interval (r=0.87). Factor analysis revealed a single-factor structure explaining 41.5% of the total variance, with all items showing high factor loadings.

The obtained empirical data support the reliability and psychometric adequacy of the Kazakh version BSSI and justify its use in both scientific research and psychological assessment practice.