Abstract

The validation study and factorial analysis of the Beck's hopelessness scale is presented. Two groups were compared including patients suffering from depression (n = 100) and a control group (n = 93). Age and sex were comparable in the two groups. The hopelessness scale is valid, and differentiates depressive patients from control subjects. The scale has a good reliability (test-retest, r = .81) and a good internal consistency (alpha = .97) for depressive subjects and alpha = .79 for control subjects). It also shows a good concurrent validity with other scales assessing depressive cognitions, the automatic thoughts questionnaire, the dysfunctional attitudes scale (form A) and a scale assessing the suicidal risk (ERSD). No concurrent validity is found with scales assessing the intensity of depression, the Beck depression inventory and the Hamilton scale. The factorial analysis elicits a general factor, accounting for 38.15% of the variance, and reflecting negative feelings about the future. The study of all the factorial analysis shows the stability of the factorial structure.