The development and testing of the Mental Health Problems Perception Questionnaire

This paper reports the development and psychometric testing of the Mental Health Problems Perception Questionnaire. This questionnaire was developed to measure the therapeutic commitment, role support and role competency of non-mental health specialist nurses (generalists) to working with patients with mental health problems who live in rural communities. The instrument was demonstrated to be valid and reliable in this population. The questionnaire was underpinned by an explicit theoretical model which facilitates an understanding of the factors that influence effective psychosocial nursing interventions with this client group.