BHS: Beck Hopelessness Scale

The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) is a 20-item self-report instrument developed by Aaron Beck and colleagues (1974) to measure the degree of hopelessness and pessimism about the future in adolescents and adults. It is grounded in Beck's cognitive theory of depression and suicide and is widely used in clinical, psychiatric, forensic, and research settings to assess suicide risk and identify individuals at elevated risk for self-harm and completed suicide.