Measurement Invariance of the Depressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Scale Across Race, Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, and Plurality of Minoritized Identities

Measurement invariance across diverse groups, though crucial for determining the generalizability of a measure, has not yet been tested in many assessments of suicidal thoughts. The present study assessed the measurement invariance and psychometric properties of one such assessment, the Depressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Subscale, across multiple identity dimensions in a large data set (n = 1,118) that combined three diverse samples. Findings supported measurement invariance of the scale by race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation when comparing those who were majority-aligning with their minoritized counterparts, as well as good internal consistency and expected convergent validity. The expected one-factor structure fit well for all three of the samples assessed. Overall, the results support measurement invariance and generalizability of the Depressive Symptom Inventory-Suicidality Subscale. Future studies should continue assessing measures of suicidal thoughts and behaviors through testing invariance across identities, especially as it pertains to specific identity subgroups and their intersections.