Hopelessness Scale

Definition

The Hopelessness Scale is a psychological tool used to measure the degree of hopelessness a person may be feeling. It assesses negative expectations about future life events.

Related terms

Suicidal Ideation:

Thoughts about suicide, ranging from brief consideration to detailed planning.

Learned Helplessness:

A condition where one has learned to behave helplessly, failing to respond even though there are opportunities for it to help itself by avoiding unpleasant circumstances or gaining positive rewards.

Cognitive Distortion:

Inaccurate thoughts that usually reinforce negative thinking or emotions — telling ourselves things that sound rational and accurate but really only serve to keep us feeling bad about ourselves.