Brief Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (BRFL-A) Test

How the Scales are Structured
Who Usually Takes This Test?
See How You Compare
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.
Example Questions From the Test
- Not at all important
- Not important
- Almost not important
- Slightly important
- Important
- Very important
- Not at all important
- Not important
- Almost not important
- Slightly important
- Important
- Very important
- Not at all important
- Not important
- Almost not important
- Slightly important
- Important
- Very important
Brief Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (BRFL-A) Test - Description and methodology of the test
Adolescents who want to reflect on beliefs and relationships that support staying engaged in life can use this adolescent reasons for living test as a structured starting point. The Brief Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (BRFL-A) Test organizes responses around family, friends, self-view, future expectations, and attitudes toward suicide. Its profile can help focus personal reflection or conversations about coping and current distress.
What This Assessment Explores
For adolescents, the BRFL-A questionnaire examines beliefs, relationships, and attitudes; results show their relative endorsement.
The six dimensions are:
- Family Alliance (1-6) measures family support and coping: Low family support (1-3.82); High family support (3.83-6).
- Fear of Suicide (1-6) measures fear and rejection of suicide: Lower fear response (1-4.18); Higher fear response (4.19-6).
- Optimistic Future (1-6) measures life interest and future plans: Low (1-3.95); Moderate to high (3.96-6).
- Self-Acceptance (1-6) measures positive self-view: Low (1-3.36); Moderate (3.37-6).
- Friend Support (1-6) measures acceptance and help from friends: Low support (1-3.54); High support (3.55-6).
- Life Affirmation (1-6) measures absence of suicidal motives and mood: Low life affirmation (1-3.42); High life affirmation (3.43-6).
Methodology and Evidence Base
Each statement asks how important a reason is, using six response options from “Not at all important” to “Very important.” Responses form dimensional and aggregate scores; the displayed bands describe the catalogue’s interpretation, not an inferred diagnostic cutoff. This makes the reasons for living assessment useful for noticing patterns, while a single result should not be read in isolation.
The methodology is conceptually consistent with the published Brief Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (BRFL-A), while Linehan and colleagues’ Reasons for Living Inventory provides the broader framework. The online questionnaire is a digital self-report presentation for reflection, not automatically an identical research administration. The published BRFL-A is the closest evidence base for the adolescent-focused construct; the earlier inventory explains its theoretical lineage.
Current mood, suicidal imagery, self-awareness, and candidness can influence scores. The questionnaire has no displayed norms or diagnostic thresholds, so its profile cannot establish clinical status or predict behavior alone. Interpretation is strongest when patterns are considered alongside the adolescent’s circumstances and direct assessment of immediate safety.
- Osman A, Kopper BA, Barrios FX, Osman JR, Besett T, Linehan MM. The Brief Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (BRFL-A). Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 1996;24(4):433-443. 10.1007/BF01441566
- Linehan MM, Goodstein JL, Nielsen SL, Chiles JA. Reasons for staying alive when you are thinking of killing yourself: The Reasons for Living Inventory. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1983;51(2):276-286. 10.1037//0022-006X.51.2.276
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