Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 2000, 7, 221–226 © 2000 Blackwell Science Ltd 221 The development and testing of the Mental Health Problems Perception Questionnaire W. LAUDER 1 p h d rmn , W. REYNOLDS 2 p h d mp hil rn , V. REILLY 3 bs c ( h ons) rn & N. ANGUS 4 mn bn rn 1 Associate Head of Department, 2 Reader, 3 Research Assistant and 4 Lecturer, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Stirling, Old Perth Road, Inverness, UK LAUDERW., REYNOLDS W., REILLY V. & ANGUS N. (2000) Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 7, 221–226 The development and testing of the Mental Health Problems Perception Questionnaire This paper reports the development and psychometric testing of the Mental Health Prob- lems Perception Questionnaire. This questionnaire was developed to measure the thera- peutic commitment, role support and role competency of non-mental health specialist nurses (generalists) to working with patients with mental health problems who live in rural communities. The instrument was demonstrated to be valid and reliable in this population. The questionnaire was underpinned by an explicit theoretical model which facilitates an understanding of the factors that influence effective psychosocial nursing interventions with this client group. Keywords: district nurses, psychometrics, role competency, role support, therapeutic commitment Accepted for publication: 2 December 1999 Correspondence: W. Lauder Department of Nursing and Midwifery University of Stirling Old Perth Road Inverness UK Introduction This paper reports the development and psychometric testing of the Mental Health Problems Perception Ques- tionnaire (MHPPQ). This instrument is underpinned by an explicit theoretical framework in which therapeutic com- mitment, role support, and role competency are core concepts. It is proposed that these variables influence the effectiveness of district nurses in their work with people who have mental health problems. The MHPPQ was devel- oped as part of a larger study investigating the role of district nurses in caring for people with mental health problems who live in rural settings, in order to measure the therapeutic commitment, role support and role compe- tency of district nurses when working with these patients. The MHPPQ is essentially a revised version of the Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perceptions Questionnaire (AAPPQ) (Shaw et al. 1978). There were no similar instruments spe- cific to this area found during the literature review. The role of district nurses (DNs) in caring for people with mental health problems is not well documented. Bower et al. (1997) argue that little is known about the extent of DNs’ involvement in caring for patients with mental health problems. It has been shown that there is some confusion as to whether DNs or community psychi- atric nurses (CPNs) have the responsibility to care for that group of patients whose needs to do not easily fit into dis- crete physical or psychiatric diagnostic categories (Lauder 1999). Community-based nurses in rural areas care for patients with a wide range of physical and mental health problems (Bower et al. 1997), and a number of these patients have complex problems which necessitate the involvement of both DNs and CPNs. DNs have been found to care for patients with mental health problems with no support from specialist mental health services (Lauder 1999). DNs also reported some uncertainty about their role in caring for this group of patients, and were equally unsure if their input was of any value. There appears to be