The Therapy Attitudes and Process Questionnaire: a brief measure of factors related to psychotherapy appointment attendance

The Therapy Attitudes and Process Questionnaire: a brief measure of factors related to psychotherapy appointment attendance

Background:
Patient non-attendance and dropout remains problematic in mental health settings. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) has proven useful in understanding such challenges in a variety of healthcare settings, but the absence of an adequate measure in mental health has hampered research in this area.

Objective:
The aim of the current study was to develop and conduct an initial psychometric investigation of a brief measure, the Therapy Attitudes and Process Questionnaire (TAP), utilizing the TPB to understand factors associated with attendance in mental health settings.

Methods:
We used a quantitative survey-based design and administered the TAP to 178 adult participants who were engaged in individual or group psychotherapy. A subsample also provided data to assess validity and reliability.

Results:
A four-factor solution was revealed through exploratory factor analysis and accounted for approximately 75 % of the variance in scores. Factors corresponded to those predicted by the TPB. Analyses supported the reliability, validity, and internal consistency of the measure.

Conclusions:
Results suggest that the TAP may be a useful tool for examining patients’ attitudes and beliefs about attending psychotherapy appointments. The TAP can be used to better understand patients’ intentions, attitudes, perceptions of behavioral control, and subjective norms relating to psychotherapy attendance. This understanding may facilitate improved outcomes for patients and clinicians.

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016. Submitted version deposited in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.