Confirmatory factor analysis of the Trinity Inventory of Precursors to Suicide (TIPS) and its relationship to hopelessness and depression.

Numerous existing measures assess attitudes toward suicide yet fail to account for contextual factors. The Trinity Inventory of Precursors to Suicide (TIPS) is presented as an alternative, with implications for the development of prevention programs. Having previously reported exploratory analysis of the TIPS; confirmatory factor analysis and predictive validity are examined. Two-hundred-nineteen males and 454 females aged 15 to 19 years (M = 16.69 yrs; SD = .739 yrs) from 11 post-primary schools in Ireland completed a questionnaire consisting of the Beck Hopelessness Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and TIPS. Confirmatory analysis revealed an oblique model with good fit for the data. Initial psychometric properties and the original factor structure were replicated. The authors propose that the context-based information provided by TIPS may be used in the development of problem-focused emotional health promotion within the wider school setting.