Validation of a scale for measuring attitudes toward psychiatry in medicine.

An 80-item scale for measuring attitudes toward psychiatry in medicine was developed and tested. Item selection from the initial 160 items was based on factor analysis and internal consistency of the eight resulting subscales, six subscales exhibiting Cronbach Alpha coefficients ranging from .79 to .95, with two showing coefficients of .57 and .59. The subscales were sensitive to differences in medical specialty, with consultation-liaison psychiatrists exhibiting the most favorable attitudes and highly specialized physicians showing the least. The subscales correlated significantly with subscales of the Zimny Medical Specialties Preference Inventory related to preference for psychosocial and non-specialized medical activities.