RFL Inventory: Reasons for Living. Assess protective factors in suicide risk. Rate from 1 (Not Important) to 6 (Extremely Important).
1. I believe I can find other solutions to my problems.
2. I still have many things left to do.
3. I have hope that things will improve.
4. I have the courage to face life.
5. I want to watch my children as they grow.
6. I am curious about what will happen in the future.
7. I have a desire to live.
8. I believe I can learn to cope.
9. I have too many plans for the future.
10. I am too busy to think about it.
11. I love life.
12. I want to experience more in life.
13. I believe I have a purpose in life.
14. I want to see my family grow.
15. I have goals I want to reach.
16. I have a lot of things to live for.
17. I believe I can handle life's problems.
18. I believe life is worth living.
19. I am curious to see how my family turns out.
20. I have too much to do to kill myself.
21. I have a deep sense of commitment to life.
22. I believe I can change my life for the better.
23. I believe I can get help.
Guidelines & Evidence
Clinical Details
Section 1
When to Use
When to Use
Comprehensive suicide risk assessment for patients with suicidal ideation
Identifying specific protective factors to leverage in safety planning
Research assessment of the cognitive mediators of suicidal behavior
Monitoring shifts in the perceived value of life during psychotherapy (e.g., DBT)
Section 2
Formula & Logic
Core Subscales
Survival and Coping Beliefs
Responsibility to Family
Child-Related Concerns
Fear of Suicide
Fear of Social Disapproval
Moral Objections
Scoring Logic
The 48 items are rated on a 6-point scale from 1 (Not at all important) to 6 (Extremely important). Subscale scores are the mean of the items within each domain.
Section 3
Evidence Appraisal
Validation
Reasons for staying alive when you are thinking of killing yourself: the reasons for living inventory.
Linehan MM et al. • J Consult Clin Psychol.. 1983;51(2):276-86. Landmark study validating the RFL as a powerful predictor of non-suicidal outcomes.
Protective factors against suicidal acts in major depression: reasons for living.
Malone KM et al. • Am J Psychiatry.. 2000;Demonstrated that higher RFL scores distinguish non-attempters from attempters in depressed cohorts.
