Development and Validation of a Self-Reported Questionnaire On Users’ Opinions About Schizophrenia: a Participatory Research

Lorenza Magliano, Andrea Fiorillo, Heidegret Del Vecchio, Claudio Malangone, Corrado De Rosa, Carla Bachelet, Giampiero Cesari, Rosa D'Ambrogio, Francesca Fulgosi Cigala, Franco Veltro, Paola Zanus, Rosaria Pioli and Mario Maj
Additional contact information
Lorenza Magliano: Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, lorenza.magliano@unina2
Andrea Fiorillo: Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples
Heidegret Del Vecchio: Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples
Claudio Malangone: Mental Health Centre of Ravello
Corrado De Rosa: Mental Health Centre of Battipaglia
Carla Bachelet: Mental Health Centre of Turin
Giampiero Cesari: Mental Health Centre of Arezzo
Rosa D'Ambrogio: Mental Health Centre of Rho
Francesca Fulgosi Cigala: Mental Health Centre of Ferrara
Franco Veltro: Mental Health Centre of Campobasso
Paola Zanus: Mental Health Centre of Trieste
Rosaria Pioli: Mental Health Centre of Fatebenefratelli Institute of Brescia
Mario Maj: Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2009, vol. 55, issue 5, 425-441

Abstract: Background: Although users’ involvement in mental health research has repeatedly been acknowledged as having a positive influence on research quality, this rarely happens. Aims: To develop and validate a Questionnaire on Users’ Opinions (QOU) about schizophrenia, in close collaboration with 279 persons affected by this disorder. Methods: A preliminary list of items concerning the opinions of users with schizophrenia regarding causes, treatments and psychosocial consequences of the disorder was developed by 38 users with schizophrenia and 40 professionals who attended a workshop. Psychometric properties of the QOU were tested on 241 users with schizophrenia, 149 of whom were randomly assigned to a test—retest study and 92 to a face-validity study. Content and construct validity were explored in the whole sample. Results: The final version of the QOU contains: (1) 24 items on the psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia, grouped into six subscales, whose Cronbach’s alpha ranged between 0.55 and 0.74; (2) five multiple choice items on the Italian psychiatric law; (3) 12 open questions; and (4) four yes/no skipping items. Items’ reliability, measured by Cohen’s kappa coefficient, ranged between 0.55 and 0.92. Conclusion: This questionnaire may be useful to assess patients’ beliefs about schizophrenia and to target psychosocial interventions for this mental disorder.

Keywords: opinions; participatory research; questionnaire; reliability; schizophrenia; users; validity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:55:y:2009:i:5:p:425-441

DOI: 10.1177/0020764008099414

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