Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Youth suicide rates are increasing, particularly among culturally minoritized populations, underscoring the need for school counselors to implement culturally competent suicide response strategies. Despite the school counseling profession’s commitment to cultural competency, there is a lack of validated instruments to assess school counselors’ beliefs about how cultural factors influence suicidality. To address this gap, we developed and validated the Counselor Beliefs about Cultural Impact on Suicidality (CBCIS) Scale. Using a sample of 826 school counselors in the United States, we utilized exploratory factor analysis to investigate the psychometric properties of the CBCIS. Our findings indicate that the CBCIS is a potentially effective tool, with two subscales: Beliefs About Student Experience and Beliefs About Counselor Response. We share implications for future research and school counselor practice and training to enhance culturally competent suicide prevention efforts.

Keywords

culturally informed suicide response youth mental health school counseling counselor beliefs

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Aherne

Coughlan

Surgenor

(2018). Therapists’ perspectives on suicide: A conceptual model of connectedness. Psychotherapy Research, 28(5), 803–819. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2017.1359428

Ajzen

(1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Aldrich

R. S.

(2015). Using the theory of planned behavior to predict college students’ intention to intervene with a suicidal individual. Crisis, 36(5), 332–337. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000330

Aldrich

R. S.

Cerel

(2009). The development of effective message content for suicide intervention: Theory of planned behavior. Crisis, 30(4), 174–179. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910.30.4.174

American School Counselor Association . (2019). ASCA school counselor professional standards & competencies. https://schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/a8d59c2c-51de-4ec3-a565-a3235f3b93c3/SC-Competencies.pdf

American School Counselor Association . (2022). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. https://schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

American School Counselor Association . (2024). The school counselor and suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Suicide-Prevention-Awaren

Banks

B. P.

(2016). Suicide response preparedness in counseling students: A study of knowledge, attitudes, and simulated behavior. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Tennessee]. UTK Campus Repository. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/3891

Brady

Woolfson

(2008). What teacher factors influence their attributions for children's difficulties in learning? British Journal of Educational Psychology, 78(Pt 4), 527–544. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709907X268570

10.

Bridge

J. A.

Ruch

D. A.

Sheftall

A. H.

Hahm

H. C.

O'Keefe

V. M.

Fontanella

C. A.

Brock

Campo

J. V.

Horowitz

L. M.

(2023). Youth suicide during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatrics, 151(3), Article e2022058375. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-058375

11.

Brown

E. C.

Edwin

(2024). The influence of a culturally informed suicide prevention training on school mental health professionals’ beliefs. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 12(2), 11–21. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v12i2.6571

12.

Brown

E. C.

Edwin

Purgason

(2024). Preparing school counselors for culturally informed suicide response. Teaching and Supervision in Counseling, 6(2), 2. https://doi.org/10.7290/tsc06kemk

13.

Canetto

S. S.

(1997). Gender and suicidal behavior: Theories and evidence. In Maris

R. W.

Silverman

M. M.

Canetto

S. S.

(Eds.), Review of suicidology (pp. 138–167). Guilford.

14.

Canetto

S. S.

(2021). Language, culture, gender, and intersectionalities in suicide theory, research, and prevention: Challenges and changes. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 51(6), 1045–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12758

15.

Cattell

R. B.

(1966). The scree test for the number of factors. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 1(2), 245–276. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327906mbr0102_10

16.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . (2020). Leading causes of death reports, national and regional 1999–2018. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcause.html

17.

Chai

C. S.

Khine

M. S.

Teo

(2006). Epistemological beliefs on teaching and learning: A survey among pre-service teachers in Singapore. Educational Media International, 43(4), 285–298. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523980600926242

18.

Chu

Floyd

Diep

Pardo

Goldblum

Bongar

(2013). A tool for the culturally competent assessment of suicide: The Cultural Assessment of Risk for Suicide (CARS) measure. Psychological Assessment, 25(2), 424–434. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031264

19.

Chu

Lin

Akutsu

P. D.

Joshi

S. V.

Yang

L. H.

(2018). Hidden suicidal ideation or intent among asian American pacific islanders: A cultural phenomenon associated with greater suicide severity. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 9(4), 262–269. https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000134

20.

Chu

J. P.

Goldblum

Floyd

Bongar

(2010). The cultural theory and model of suicide. Applied and Preventive Psychology, 14(1-4), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appsy.2011.11.001

21.

Coplan

R. J.

Hughes

Bosacki

Rose-Krasnor

(2011). Is silence golden? Elementary school teachers' strategies and beliefs regarding hypothetical shy/quiet and exuberant/talkative children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(4), 939–951. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024551

22.

Crenshaw

(1991). Mapping the margins: Identity politics, intersectionality, and violence against women. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1299. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039

23.

Crowne

C. P.

Marlowe

(1960). A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 24(1), 349–354. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0047358

24.

Fives

Gill

M. G.

(Eds.), (2015). International handbook of research on teachers’ beliefs. Routledge.

25.

Gallo

L. L.

Smith

A. R.

Camilo

(2023). Cultural considerations in suicide risk assessment with youth. School Counseling Research and Practice. https://www.azsca.org/files/Cultural_Suicide_Risk_Assessment_Youth.pdf

26.

Gay

(2015). Teachers’ beliefs about cultural diversity: Problems and possibilities. In Fives

Gill

M. G.

(Eds.), International handbook of research on teachers’ beliefs (pp. 436–452). Routledge.

27.

Guerra

P. L.

Nelson

S. W.

(2009). Changing professional practice requires changing beliefs. Phi Delta Kappan, 90(5), 354–359. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172170909000509

28.

Hatch

Chen-Hayes

S. F.

(2008). School counselor beliefs about ASCA National Model school counseling program components using the SCPCS. Professional School Counseling, 12(1), 34–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0801200104

29.

Horwitz

E. K.

(1988). The beliefs about language learning of beginning university foreign language students. The Modern Language Journal, 72(3), 283–294. https://doi.org/10.2307/327506, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ378902

30.

Joiner

T. E.

(2005). Why people die by suicide. Harvard University Press.

31.

Kaniuka

A. R.

Nanney

E. M.

Robertson

Hoff

Smith

Bowling

Basinger

E. D.

Dahl

A. A.

Cramer

R. J.

(2024). A grounded theory of sexual and gender minority suicide risk: The sexual and gender minority suicide risk and protection model. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000699

32.

Kuhlman

S. T. W.

Walch

S. E.

Bauer

K. N.

Glenn

A. D.

(2017). Intention to enact and enactment of gatekeeper behaviors for suicide prevention: An application of the theory of planned behavior. Prevention Science, 18(6), 704–715. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-017-0786-0

33.

Laerd Statistics . (2017). Hotelling’s T² using SPSS Statistics. Statistical tutorials and software guides. https://statistics.laerd.com/

34.

Larson

L. M.

Daniels

J. A.

(1998). Review of the counseling self-efficacy literature. The Counseling Psychologist, 26(2), 179–218. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000098262001

35.

Lauterbach

A. A.

Harrington

Yakut

A. D.

Krezmien

(2018). School counselor knowledge, beliefs, and practices related to the implementation of standards-based comprehensive school counseling in the United States. Journal of School-Based Counseling Policy and Evaluation, 1(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.25774/7hhc-x195

36.

Lawshe

C. H.

(1975). A quantitative approach to content validity. Personnel Psychology, 28(4), 563–575. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1975.tb01393.x

37.

Levy

I. P.

Lemberger-Truelove

M. E.

(2021). Educator–counselor: A nondual identity for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 24(1_part_3), 2156759X2110076. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X211007630

38.

Lindsey

M. A.

Sheftall

A. H.

Xiao

Joe

(2019). Trends of suicidal behaviors among high school students in the United States: 1991–2017. Pediatrics, 144(5), Article e20191187. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-1187

39.

Lyons-Thomas

(2014). Interscale correlations. In Michalos

A. C.

(Ed.), Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research (pp. 3352–3353). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_1519

40.

McCabe

P. C.

Rubinson

Dragowski

E. A.

Elizalde-Utnick

(2013). Behavioral intention of teachers, school psychologists, and counselors to intervene and prevent harassment of LGBTQ youth. Psychology in the Schools, 50(7), 672–688. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21702

41.

Mulaik

S. A.

(2009). Foundations of factor analysis. (2nd ed.). Routledge.

42.

Nederhof

A. J.

(1985). Methods of coping with social desirability bias: A review. European Journal of Social Psychology, 15(3), 263–280. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2420150303

43.

O’Connor

R. C.

Armitage

C. J.

(2003). Theory of planned behaviour and parasuicide: An exploratory study. Current Psychology, 22(3), 196–205. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-003-1016-4

44.

Opara

Assan

M. A.

Pierre

Gunn

J. F.

Metzger

Hamilton

Arugu

(2020). Suicide among Black children: An integrated model of interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide and intersectionality theory for researchers and clinicians. Journal of Black Studies, 51(6), 611–631. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934720935641

45.

Parikh

S. B.

Post

Flowers

(2011). Relationship between a belief in a just world and social justice advocacy attitudes of school counselors. Counseling and Values, 56(1-2), 57–72. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-007X.2011.tb01031.x

46.

Quirk

Unrau

Ragusa

Rueda

Lim

Velasco

Fujii

Bowers

Nemerouf

Loera

(2010). Teacher beliefs about reading motivation and their enactment in classrooms: The development of a survey questionnaire. Reading Psychology, 31(2), 93–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702710902754051

47.

Ratts

M. J.

Singh

A. A.

Nassar-McMillan

Butler

S. K.

McCullough

J. R.

(2016). Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies: Guidelines for the counseling profession. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 44(1), 28–48. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmcd.12035

48.

Ream

G. L.

(2019). What’s unique about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth and young adult suicides? Findings from the National Violent Death Reporting System. Journal of Adolescent Health, 64(5), 602–607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.10.303

49.

Reynolds

W. M.

(1982). Development of reliable and valid short forms of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38(1), 119–125. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-4679(198201)38:1<119::AID-JCLP2270380118>3.0.CO;2-I

50.

Schmidt

R. C.

(2016). Mental health practitioners’ perceived levels of preparedness, levels of confidence and methods used in the assessment of youth suicide risk. The Professional Counselor, 6(1), 76–88. https://doi.org/10.15241/rs.6.1.76

51.

Stickl Haugen

Waalkes

P. L.

Lambie

G. W.

(2021). A national survey of school counselors’ experiences with student death by suicide. Professional School Counseling, 25(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X21993804

52.

Sue

D. W.

Arredondo

McDavis

R. J.

(1992). Multicultural counseling competencies and standards: A call to the profession. Journal of Counseling and Development, 70(4), 477–486. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.1992.tb01642.x

53.

Tabachnick

B. G.

Fidell

L. S.

Ullman

J. B.

(2013). Using multivariate statistics. Pearson.

54.

Thurstone

L. L.

(1947). Multiple factor analysis. University of Chicago Press.

55.

Topdemir

C. M.

(2013). School counselors’ beliefs about accountability. The Practitioner Scholar: Journal of Counseling and Professional Psychology, 2(1), 12–22. https://thepractitionerscholar.com/article/view/10899

56.

Young

Kaffenberger

(2011). The beliefs and practices of school counselors who use data to implement comprehensive school counseling programs. Professional School Counseling, 15(2), 67–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X1101500204

Development and Validation of the Counselor Beliefs About Cultural Impact on Suicidality Scale

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References