Psychosocial treatment compliance scale for people with psychotic disorders

Psychosocial treatment compliance is essential for effective treatment outcomes. A psychometrically valid compliance scale is required for identifying possible obstacles causing treatment non-compliance and testing the effectiveness of compliance therapy. This study developed a scale to measure psychosocial treatment compliance of people with psychotic disorders and established its psychometric properties.

An initial item pool was generated by literature review and contacts with psychiatric professionals. The content validity and cultural relevancy of this scale were examined by experienced researchers, mental health professionals and mental health consumers which resulted in the 17-item Psychosocial Treatment Compliance Scale (PTCS). Some 108 adults with a DSM-IV diagnosis of psychosis verified by certified psychiatrists were recruited from mental hospitals and social service settings in Hong Kong. Self-stigma, self-esteem, self-efficacy, insight and attitudes to medication of the participants were measured by relevant assessment instruments through interviews. Case therapists then filled in the PTCS and recorded their demographic data. SPSS version 11.0 was used for data analysis.

Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor solution (participation and attendance) accounting for 70.74% of the variance. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were 0.90 and 0.96, respectively, for 'participation'; and 0.86 and 0.87, respectively, for 'attendance'. Its convergent validity was supported by the correlational relationships with measures on self-stigma, self-esteem, self-efficacy, insight and attitudes to medication.

PTCS is a reliable and valid scale which may be used to measure the compliance to psychosocial treatment of people with psychotic disorders.