Development and Initial Validation of an Instrument to Measure Perceived Coercion to Enter Treatment for Substance Abuse

Abstract

The present study involved three phases that led to the development and initial validation of the Perceived Coercion Questionnaire (PCQ), a scale to measures perceptions of coercion to enter drug and alcohol treatment. In Phase 1, focus groups were used to generate 48 pilot items. In Phase 2, the items were administered to a sample of 158 drug and alcohol users who were in residential treatment within a therapeutic community setting. Item and exploratory factor analysis reduced the number of items to 32, which represented six homogenous and internally reliable subscales. In Phase 3, the PCQ was administered to a second sample of 362 drug/alcohol users. Confirmatory factor analysis led to a final scale of 30 items across six subscales that demonstrated satisfactory consistency and validity. Implications for research and practice are highlighted.