[Cologne Questionnaire on Attitudes Towards Coercive Measures (KEZ)]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychometrics
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Coercion in mental health settings is a complex issue.
• Understanding staff attitudes is crucial for ethical practice.
• Existing assessment tools may not fully capture nuanced perspectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a psychometric instrument for assessing psychiatric staff attitudes towards the use of coercion.
• To provide a comprehensive tool for evaluating staff perspectives on coercive measures.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and semi-structured interviews with doctors and nurses.
• Development of a preliminary questionnaire based on qualitative data.
• Anonymous survey administration to psychiatric clinic staff.
• Test-theoretical analysis of collected data.

Main Results:

• A 39-item instrument (KEZ) was finalized with high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.904).
• Three distinct factors emerged: acceptance of coercion, perceived meaningfulness/legitimation, and coercion for security/order.
• Each factor demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's α ranging from 0.791 to 0.812).

Conclusions:

• The KEZ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing psychiatric staff attitudes towards coercion.
• It offers a holistic view of staff perspectives, encompassing multiple dimensions.
• The instrument can inform training and policy development regarding the use of coercive measures in psychiatric care.