Se. Carpinello et al., The development of the mental health confidence scale: A measure of self-efficacy in individuals diagnosed with mental disorders, PSYCH REH J, 23(3), 2000, pp. 236-243
This article discusses a new scale for the measurement of self-efficacy amo
ng persons dealing with mental disorders and examines the relationship betw
een involvement bt self-help and self-efficacy. The scale is based on theor
ies of self-efficacy and recent qualitative research on self-help groups. I
t is designed to assess the self-efficacy beliefs of persons dealing with m
ental disorders, particularly how confident Beg are about their ability to
deal with those things that commonly influence their lives. The presumed th
ree-factor structure of the scale (optimism, coping, advocacy) was tested u
sing data from a study oil understanding factors associated with participat
ion and nonparticipation in mental health self help groups (n = 554). Resul
ts of confirmatory factor analyses support the three-factor structure and s
uggest that tbe scale is a reliable means of assessing mental health relate
d efficacy beliefs. Irt correlational analyses, generally positive associat
ions are found between participation in self-help and self-efficacy.