Background: Geriatric suicide is a serious social and public health problem. Suicidal ideation is the best predictor of suicide. Most older adults who experience suicidal ideation or have attempted suicide report negative lived experiences. Literature exploring the lived experiences of elderly suicide victims is sparse, and tools measuring negative lived experiences are lacking.Purpose: To develop and psychometrically test the Geriatric Negative Lived Experience Scale (GNLES). Methods:The GNLES measure was developed in three stages. First, items were generated based on the theoretical framework outlined by Wu and existing measures. Second, the items were tested for content validity. Last, the psychometric properties of the instrument were tested as part of a larger study. The data were collected between February and July 2012.Results: Using linear structural relations (LISREL) Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), a three-factor model was determined to have a good fit. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the GNLES with a 3-factor structure was 0.83. The GNLES has acceptable criterion-related validity. The suicidal ideation-predictive rate of the GNLES was greater than 70% for older adults. The performance of the model was acceptable, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.704. Conclusions/Implications for Practice:The GNLES has acceptable validity and reliability for measuring suicidal ideation among older adults. The GNLES is suitable for use as a screening instrument for early suicidal ideation in the elderly population. The GNLES should be used as the basis for the future development of various care interventions and for the early prevention of suicidal ideation or behavior in the elderly population.

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