Mood explained · 9 min read
Hopelessness scales: what they measure and where to get help
What hopelessness scales measure, who uses them, and where to find help.
In short
Hopelessness scales ask about expectations for the future. Clinicians use them as part of a wider assessment, alongside a conversation about safety and support. If you feel unsafe now, use the crisis routes below.
Before anything else
If you are thinking about harming yourself or do not feel safe, contact emergency services or a crisis line now. In the UK and Ireland, call Samaritans on 116 123; you can also call 111, contact your GP or crisis team, or go to A&E. Call 999 if you have seriously harmed yourself. In the US and Canada, call or text 988.
The NHS recommends telling someone you trust. You can read the rest of this page later or not at all.
What hopelessness scales measure
In research, hopelessness refers to expectations about the future: that circumstances will not improve or that efforts will not help. It is related to, but distinct from, low mood.
The Beck Hopelessness Scale is a 20-question instrument about negative expectations for the future. Pearson lists it for ages 17 to 80 and for use by qualified professionals. Its questions are not reproduced here.
Who uses the scale
Clinicians may use a scale alongside a conversation about a person's circumstances, safety and support. A score is one part of that discussion; it does not replace asking follow-up questions or planning what happens next.
What to do now
If this description feels familiar, tell someone you trust and contact a GP or family doctor. The NHS suggests making a written safety plan with someone who can support you. Describe how long you have felt this way, what has changed and whether anything helps.
If you may harm yourself or cannot stay safe, use the emergency and crisis routes at the top of this page now.
Questions people ask
What is a hopelessness scale?
A clinical questionnaire about expectations of the future. The Beck Hopelessness Scale has 20 true-or-false questions.
Who uses the Beck Hopelessness Scale?
Qualified professionals may use it as part of a wider assessment.
What should I do if this description fits me?
Tell someone you trust and contact a GP or family doctor. If you feel unsafe now, use the crisis routes above.
Sources
- The NHS says that if you're feeling like you want to end your life, it's important to tell someone, and lists Samaritans on 116 123 among the routes to help.
- The National Institute of Mental Health says that if you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
- Pearson says the Beck Hopelessness Scale measures negative attitudes about the future, using 20 true or false items in 5 to 10 minutes, self-administered or verbally by a trained administrator, at qualification level B.
- Pearson states that a central principle of professional test use is that individuals should use only those tests for which they have the appropriate training and expertise.
- A study of the scale among psychiatric inpatients states that hopelessness has substantial clinical utility for suicide risk assessment and prediction of future suicidal behavior.
- The same study states that severity of suicidal intent is more strongly related to hopelessness compared to depression.
- The same study reports that factor structures found in the literature could be grouped as one-factor models, two-factor models, three factor models, and models with four or more factors.