Measuring relational security in forensic mental health services

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Mental Health Services Research
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Relational security is crucial in mental health care and risk assessment.
• The psychometric properties of available relational security measures are under-researched.
• Effective tools are needed to assess the quality of relational security in secure mental health settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the psychometric properties of the See Think Act (STA) scale and the Relational Security Explorer (RSE).
• To evaluate the utility of these tools in assessing relational security within mental health services.
• To provide insights into the strengths and limitations of current relational security measurement tools.

Main Methods:

• Psychometric analysis of the See Think Act (STA) scale.
• Psychometric analysis of the Relational Security Explorer (RSE).
• Comparison of the performance of the two scales as psychometric measures.

Main Results:

• The See Think Act (STA) scale demonstrated good internal consistency.
• The STA scale effectively differentiated between various occupational groups.
• The Relational Security Explorer (RSE) did not perform well as a psychometric measure.

Conclusions:

• The STA scale offers a valid measure for relational security, highlighting inter-occupational differences.
• The RSE scale's psychometric utility is limited; its use should be confined to guiding team discussions.
• Multidimensional measurement of relational security, integrated into broader service quality assessment, is recommended pending further validation.