Beck Hopelessness Scale The Beck Hopelessness Scale is a self-report measure for adults aged 17 to 80. It assesses an individual’s negative expectations about the future. The measure includes 20 items to which participants respond with “true” or “false.” It takes five to 10 minutes to complete. 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. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0037562 Beck, A.T., & Steer, R.A. (1988). Manual for the Beck Hopelessness Scale. San Antonio: Psychological Corp. Neufeld, E., O'Rourke, N., & Donnelly, M. (2010). Enhanced measurement sensitivity of hopeless ideation among older adults at risk of self-harm: Reliability and validity of L-tiker-type responses to the Beck Hopelessness Scale. Aging & Mental Health, 14(6), 752-756. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13607860903421052