DEVELOPMENT OF A PSYCHOSOCIAL SCREENING INSTRUMENT

THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO COMPLETE THE INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF A SCREENING INVENTORY CAPABLE OF ASSISTING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN DECISION-MAKING AND TREATMENT PLANNING FOR THE ESTIMATED 20 TO 80 PERCENT OF MEDICAL PATIENTS WHOSE ILLNESSES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED BY PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS. CURRENTLY, NO SINGLE, BRIEF DEVICE EXISTS THAT CAN SCREEN FOR GROSS PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ASSESSING BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MEDIATING FACTORS RELEVANT TO HEALTH STATUS AND ILLNESS MANAGEMENT. BASED ON CONTEMPORARY THEORETICAL VIEWS AND RESEARCH FINDINGS IN HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY/BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE, A MULTIFACETED INSTRUMENT HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED THAT MEASURES (1) PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS, (2) PERSONALITY AND TEMPERAMENT, (3) STRESSORS, (4) PERSONAL AND SOCIAL RESOURCES, (5) HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIORS, AND (6) HEALTH-RELATED ATTITUDES. THE PURPOSE OF PHASE I IS TO EVALUATE BASIC PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE PRELIMINARY ITEM POOL AND PRELIMINARY SCALES (E.G., ITEM SCORE DISTRIBUTIONS, ITEM COMPREHENSIBILITY, ITEM SOCIAL DESIRABILITY, FACTOR STRUCTURE, INTERNAL CONSISTENCY, TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY, AND PRELIMINARY VALIDITY OF TWO SCALES) PRIOR TO SELECTING THE FINAL ITEMS AND ENGAGING IN A LARGE-SCALE SERIES OF MULTIREGIONAL CONSTRUCT VALIDATION AND PREDICTION STUDIES (PLANNED FOR PHASE II).