TY  - JOUR
T1  - An Investigation of the Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version of the Beck Hopelessness Scale - Short Form (BHS-7)
TT  - An Investigation of the Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version of the Beck Hopelessness Scale - Short Form (BHS-7)
AU  - Türk, Nuri
AU  - Batmaz, Hasan
AU  - Özmen, Mustafa
AU  - Özdemir, Mehmet
PY  - 2025
DA  - August
Y2  - 2025
DO  - 10.19171/uefad.1593861
JF  - Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education
PB  - Bursa Uludağ University
WT  - DergiPark
SN  - 2667-6788
SP  - 483
EP  - 502
VL  - 38
IS  - 2
LA  - en
AB  - 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.
KW  - Hopelessness
KW  - Validity
KW  - Reliability
N2  - 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.
CR  - Abramson, L. Y., Alloy, L. B., Hogan, M. E., Whitehouse, W. G., Gibb, B. E., Hankin, B. L., & Cornette, M. M. (2002). The hopelessness theory of suicidality. In Joiner. T. E. & Rudd, M. D. (Eds.), Suicide science: Expanding the boundaries (pp. 17–32). Kluwer.
CR  - Akova, İ., Kiliç, E., & Özdemir, M. E. (2022). Prevalence of burnout, depression, anxiety, stress, and hopelessness among healthcare workers in the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. Inquiry: A journal of medical care organization, provision and financing, 59, 469580221079684. https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580221079684
CR  - Anastasi, A., & Urbina, S. (1997). Psychological testing (7th ed.). Prentics-hall International.
CR  - Arslan, G., Türk, N., & Kaya, A. (2024). Psychological vulnerability, emotional problems, and quality of-life: Validation of the brief suicide cognitions scale for Turkish college students. Current Psychology, 43(24), 21009-21018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05913-w
CR  - Balsamo, M., Carlucci, L., Innamorati, M., Lester, D., & Pompili, M. (2020). Further insights into the beck hopelessness scale (BHS): Unidimensionality among psychiatric inpatients. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 727. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00727
CR  - Batmaz, H., Türk, N., & Doğrusever, C. (2021). The mediating role of hope and loneliness in the relationship between meaningful life and psychological resilience in the Covid-19 Pandemic during. Anemon Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 9(5), 1403-1420. https://doi.org/10.18506/anemon.895199
CR  - Beck, A. T., Weissman, A., Lester, D., & Trexler, L. (1974). The measurement of pessimism: The Hopelessness Scale. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42(6), 861–865. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0037562
CR  - Beck, A. T., & Steer, R. A. (1988). Beck hopelessness scale. Psychological Corporation.
CR  - Bentler, P. M. (1980). Multivariate analysis with latent variables: Causal modeling. Annual Review of Psychology, 31, 419–456. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.31.020180.002223
CR  - Byrne, B. M. (2016). Structural equation modeling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming (3rd ed.). Routledge.
CR  - Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2018). Sosyal bilimler için veri analizi el kitabı: İstatistik, araştırma deseni, Spss uygulamaları ve yorum. Pegem Akademi.
CR  - Chang, Y. C., & Hsu, M. C. (2017). The nursing experience of caring for a depression patients with repeated suicide attempt colostomy. Chang Gung Nursing, 28(1), 175–185.
CR  - Chen, X., & Li, S. (2023). Serial mediation of the relationship between impulsivity and suicidal ideation by depression and hopelessness in depressed patients. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 1457. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16378-0
CR  - Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. SAGE Publications.
CR  - Çakar, F. F., Tagay, Ö. O., Karataş, Z. Z., & Ersoy, M. A. (2015). Adolescents’ life satisfaction: Risky behaviors and hopelessness. International Journal on New Trends in Education & Their Implications, 6(1), 55-62.
CR  - Çelik, M., Sanberk, İ., & Deveci, F. (2017). Öğretmen adaylarının yaşam doyumlarının yordayıcısı olarak psikolojik dayanıklılık ve umutsuzluk. İlköğretim Online, 16(2). 654-662
CR  - Çelik, M., & Türk, N. (2024). Bağlanma stilleri ölçeği kısa formu’nun psikometrik özelliklerinin incelenmesi. Journal of History School, 17(LXXIII), 3121-3141. https://dx.doi.org/10.29228/joh.78675
CR  - Dağlı, A., & Baysal, N. (2016). Yaşam doyumu ölçeğinin Türkçe’ye uyarlanmasi: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalişmasi. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 15(59). https://doi.org/10.17755/esosder.263229
CR  - DeVellis, R.F. (2017). Scale development: Theory and applications. Sage Publications.
CR  - Diener, E. D., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71-75. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13
CR  - Dunn, T. J., Baguley, T., & Brunsden, V. (2014). From alpha to omega: A practical solution to the pervasive problem of internal consistency estimation. British Journal of Psychology, 105(3), 399-412. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12046
CR  - Durak, A., & Palabıyıkoglu, R. (2006). beck umutsuzluk ölçeği geçerlilik çalışması. Kriz Dergisi, 2(2), 311-319.
CR  - Egelioğlu Çetişli, N., Topaloğlu Ören, E. D., & Kaba, F. (2019). İnfertil çiftlerde çift uyumu ve umutsuzluk. Acıbadem Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, 10(3), 422‐426. https://doi.org/10.31067/0.2018.81
CR  - Fekih-Romdhane, F., Fawaz, M., Hallit, R., Sawma, T., Obeid, S., & Hallit, S. (2024). Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the 10-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC-10), the 8- and 10-item post-traumatic growth inventory-short form (PTGI-SF) scales. PloS one, 19(1), e0293079. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293079
CR  - Field, A. (2024). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. Sage Publications Limited.
CR  - Forkmann, T., Eimen, J., Plein, L., Höller, I., Böhler, L., Schönfelder, A., ... & Spangenberg, L. (2024). Psychometric examination and factorial validity of a German short form of the Beck Hopelessness Scale in three different samples. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 17, 100822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2024.100822
CR  - Franklin, J. C., Ribeiro, J. D., Fox, K. R., Bentley, K. H., Kleiman, E. M., Huang, X. Y. N., et al. (2017). Risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors: A meta-analysis of 50 years of research. Psychological Bulletin, 143(2), 187–232.  https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000084
CR  - Gil, S., & Gilbar, O. (2001). Hopelessness among cancer patients. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 19(1), 21–33. https://doi.org/10.1300/J077v19n01_02
CR  - Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2013). Multivariate data analysis: Pearson’s new international edition. Pearson Higher Education.
CR  - Henry, J. D., & Crawford, J. R. (2005). The Short-Form version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21): Psychometric properties in a non-clinical sample. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44(2), 227–239.
CR  - Horwitz, A. G., Berona, J., Czyz, E. K., Yeguez, C. E., & King, C. A. (2017). Positive and negative expectations of hopelessness as longitudinal predictors of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior in high-risk adolescents. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, 47(2), 168–176. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12273
CR  - Huang, Y., Bao, Y., Ho, H. C., Lin, M., Tao, Y., Liu, Y., & Chen, F. (2025). Measurement of hopelessness in families of children with autism spectrum disorder: Dimensionality and measurement ınvariance of the beck hopelessness scale. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 07342829251317252. https://doi.org/10.1177/07342829251317252
CR  - Kaplan Serin, E., & Doğan, R. (2023). The relationship between anxiety and hopelessness levels among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic and related factors. OMEGA—Journal of Death and Dying, 87(3), 793–813. https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228211029144
CR  - Karataş, Z., & Tagay, Ö. (2021). The relationships between resilience of the adults affected by the covid pandemic in Turkey and Covid-19 fear, meaning in life, life satisfaction, intolerance of uncertainty and hope. Personality and Individual Differences, 172, 110592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110592
CR  - Kardaş, F., & Tanhan, F. (2018). Van depremini yaşayan üniversite öğrencilerinin travma sonrası stres, travma sonrası büyüme ve umutsuzluk düzeylerinin incelenmesi. Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 15(1), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.23891/efdyyu.2018.60
CR  - Kezer, F., Oğurlu, Ü., & Akfırat, O. N. (2016). Eleştirel düşünme eğilimi, genel öz yeterlik ve umutsuzluk arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 13(34), 202–218. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-fle/226449
CR  - Kliem, S., Lohmann, A., Mößle, T., & Brähler, E. (2018). Psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Beck hopelessness scale (BHS): Results from a German representative population sample. BMC Psychiatry, 18, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1646-6
CR  - Kline, P. (2013). Handbook of psychological testing. Routledge.
CR  - Kline, R. B. (2023). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford publications.
CR  - Liu, R. T., Kleiman, E. M., Nestor, B. A., & Cheek, S. M. (2015). The hopelessness theory of depression: A quarter‐
century in review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 22(4), 345.
CR  - Lovibond, P. F., & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behavior Research and Therapy, 33(3), 335-343.
CR  - Marchetti, I. (2019). Hopelessness: A network analysis. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 43(3), 611–619. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-018-9981-y
CR  - Mac Giollabhui, N., Hamilton, J. L., Nielsen, J., Connolly, S. L., Stange, J. P., Varga, S., et al. (2018). Negative Cognitive style interacts with negative life events to predict first onset of a major depressive episode in adolescence via hopelessness. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 127(1), 1–11.
CR  - Nieto, M., Visier, M. E., Silvestre, I. N., Navarro, B., Serrano, J. P., & Martínez-Vizcaíno, V. (2023). Relation between resilience and personality traits: The role of hopelessness and age. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 64(1), 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12866
CR  - Padmanabhanunni, A., & Pretorius, T. (2021). The loneliness–life satisfaction relationship: The parallel and serial mediating role of hopelessness, depression and ego-resilience among young adults in south africa during covid-19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3613. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073613
CR  - Pretorius, T. B., & Padmanabhanunni, A. (2024). A unidimensional short form of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS-7) derived using item response theory. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 6021. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56792-x
CR  - Raman, U., Bonanno, P. A., Sachdev, D., Govindan, A., Dhole, A., Salako, O., Patel, J., Noureddine, L. R., Tu, J., Guevarra-Fernández, J., Leto, A., Nemeh, C., Patel, A., Nicheporuck, A., Tran, A., & Kennedy, C. A. (2021). 
Community Violence, PTSD, Hopelessness, Substance Use, and Perpetuation of Violence in an Urban Environment. Community mental health journal, 57(4), 622–630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00691-8
CR  - Sarıçam, H. (2018). The validity and reliability study of the Turkish version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). International Journal of Assessment Tools in Education, 5(1), 12–24.
CR  - Seber, G., Dilbaz, N., Kaptanoğlu, C., & Tekin, D. (1993). Umutsuzluk Ölçeği: Geçerlilik ve güvenirliği. Kriz Dergisi, 1(3), 139-142.
CR  - Shrestha, N. (2021). Factor analysis as a tool for survey analysis. American Journal of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, 9(1), 4–11.
CR  - Snyder, C. R., Sympson, S. C., Michael, S. T., & Cheavens, J. (2001). Optimism and hope constructs: Variants on a positive expectancy theme. In E. C. Chang (Ed.), Optimism and Pessimism: Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice, (pp. 101-125). American Psychological Association.
CR  - Stefana, A., Fusar-Poli, P., Vieta, E., Gelso, C. J., & Youngstrom, E. A. (2025). Development and validation of an 8-item version of the Real Relationship Inventory-Client form. Psychotherapy research: Journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, 35(3), 395–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2024.2320331
CR  - Şimşek, N., Akça, N. K., & Şimşek, M. (2015). Lise öğrencilerinde umutsuzluk ve Internet bağımlılığı. TAF Preventive Medicine Bulletin, 14(1), 7–14. https://doi.org/10.5455/pmb.1-1393401116
CR  - Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2019). Using multivariate statistics (7th ed.). Pearson.
CR  - Turgut, M. F., & Baykul, Y. (2010). Eğitimde ölçme ve değerlendirme. Pegem Akademi.
CR  - Türk, N., & Çelik, M. (2024). Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Adaptation of Stress Mindset Measure. Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar, 16(Supplement 1), 293-302. https://doi.org/10.18863/pgy.1541853
CR  - Türk, N., Arslan, G., Kaya, A., & Yildirim, O. (2025a). Uncertainty and well-Being in Turkish adults: Exploring the role of religiosity and psychological symptoms. Journal of Religion and Health, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-025-02279-6
CR  - Türk, N., Batmaz, H., & Doğrusever, C. (2025b). Dinlenmeye tahammülsüzlük ölçeği kısa formu türkçe versiyonunun psikometrik özellikleri. Siirt Eğitim Dergisi, 5(1), 62-74. https://doi.org/10.58667/sedder.1712764
CR  - Türk, N., Yildirim, M., Batmaz, H., Aziz, I. A., & Gómez-Salgado, J. (2025c). Resilience and meaning-centered coping as mediators in the relationship between life satisfaction and posttraumatic outcomes among earthquake survivors in Turkey. Medicine, 104(10), e41712. https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000041712
CR  - Uzunsakal, E., & Yıldız, D. (2018). Alan araştırmalarında güvenirlik testlerinin karşılaştırılması ve tarımsal veriler üzerine bir uygulama. Uygulamalı Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2(1), 14-28.
CR  - Widaman, K. F., & Reise, S. P. (1997). Exploring the measurement invariance of psychological instruments: Applications in the substance use domain. In K. J. Bryant, M. E. Windle, & S. G. West (Eds.), The science of prevention: Methodological advances from alcohol and substance abuse research (pp. 281–324). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10222-009
CR  - Wu, L., & Koo, M. (2016). Randomized controlled trial of a six-week spiritual reminiscence intervention on hope, life satisfaction, and spiritual well-being in elderly with mild and moderate dementia. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 31(2), 120–127.
CR  - Zhang, J., & Li, Z. (2013). The association between depression and suicide when hopelessness is controlled for. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 54(7), 790–796. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2013.03.004
CR  - Zhang, Y., Hou, D., Dong, X., Zhao, Q., Zhang, X., & Fan, X. (2024). Determinants of depressive symptoms in patients with heart failure based on the hopelessness theory of depression. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 23(2), 152-159. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvad062
UR  - https://doi.org/10.19171/uefad.1593861
L1  - https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/4405399
ER  -