ATTITUDES TOWARD PSYCHIATRIC DISABILITY: THE OPINIONS ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS SCALE IN NURSING EDUCATION EVALUATION.
Contributors: Kent State University.
Published: 1996
Number of pages: 216
Subjects: Health Sciences, Education.; Health Sciences, Mental Health.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The Cohen and Struening (1962) Opinions about Mental Illness (OMI) scale was used to measure nursing student attitudes toward psychiatric disability across a two year nursing education program. Participant OMI responses were examined for association with a social desirability response bias and for similarities with attitudes toward other disabilities. Also evaluated were the test-retest reliability, correlations among the subscales, and the internal consistency of the OMI.

Repeated measures OMI subscale ANOVAs with post hoc dependent t tests (Bonferroni adjusted) found reduced authoritarian attitudes over the first year of nursing education (n = 49, t = 4.36, $p<.0001).$ The failure to find attitude change associated with a multisite semester psychiatric nursing field rotation was interpreted within the attitude change contact hypothesis literature. An extensive OMI literature review and suggestions for future research were provided.

No significant relationship was found between the OMI and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS) (Crowne & Marlowe, 1960), nor between the MCSDS and the Scale of Attitudes toward Disabled Persons (SADP) (Antonak, 1982). Low to moderate correlations, were found between the OMI and SADP (n = 130, rs =.25 to.53, $p<.01).$ An endorsement of OMI mental illness interpersonal etiology was negatively associated with SADP positive attitudes toward persons with disability (r = $-$.31, $p<.001).$.

Moderate to high test-retest reliability was found for the OMI at 3 and 10 weeks (n = 46, rs =.59 to.85). Test-retest for the MCSDS (n = 44, mean r =.89) extended previous findings. Moderate test-retest correlations were found for the SADP (n = 44, mean r =.43).

Eight low to moderate correlations were found among the OMI subscores (N = 182, rs =.24 to.58, $p<.001).$ OMI Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficients ranged from.24 to.68, with an exploratory alpha for the entire OMI of.76, suggesting a possible unidimensional OMI structure. Alpha values for the SADP (n = 114, $\alpha$ =.71 to.89) and the MCSDS (n = 181, $\alpha$ =.77) were also presented.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-05, Section: B, page: 3112.

Thesis (PH.D.)--KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, 1996.

School code: 0101.