An Investigation of the Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version of the Beck Hopelessness Scale - Short Form (BHS-7)

Abstract

Hopelessness is considered one of the key constructs in the field of mental health, closely related to various psychological variables such as suicide and depression. The Beck Hopelessness Scale has been widely used to measure hopelessness for nearly 40 years. More recently, short forms of this scale have been developed. This study aimed to adapt the Beck Hopelessness Scale - Short Form (BHS-7), developed by Pretorius and Padmanabhanunni (2024), to Turkish culture. A convenience sampling method was employed, and the sample consisted of 407 individuals aged 18 and above. The Beck Hopelessness Scale - Short Form, Depression Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale were used as data collection tools. To assess validity, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to examine the scale's structure within the Turkish context, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to verify the structure. Additionally, evidence for measurement invariance across gender, criterion-related validity, and convergent and divergent validity was presented. The results confirmed the unidimensional structure of the original seven-item scale within the Turkish sample. Measurement invariance results revealed that groups can be compared according to gender. According to the criterion validity results, positive significant relationships were found between hopelessness and depression, while negative significant relationships were found between hopelessness and life satisfaction. Reliability analysis demonstrated that the internal consistency coefficient was at an acceptable level. Consequently, the Turkish adaptation of the Beck Hopelessness Scale – Short Form (BHS-7) was found to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing hopelessness in adult populations.