title: Measuring and comparing the attitudes and beliefs of staff working in New York methadone maintenance clinics.
abstract: Scales measuring commitment to abstinence-oriented policies, attitudes to drug addiction, and knowledge of methadone maintenance were refined and tested in a survey of staff working in 14 New York maintenance programs. Confirmatory factor analysis established the validity of a 9-item Abstinence Orientation Scale and a 6-item Disapproval of Drug Use Scale. Scores on the two scales and Knowledge scores were highly correlated. There were highly significant differences in the mean Abstinence Orientation scores of the administrative and better qualified clinical staff on the one hand and the less qualified staff on the other. Senior staff generally rejected abstinence-oriented policies while nurses and counselors tended to support them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Sydney, N.S.W. Australia.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Caplehorn
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hartel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Irwig
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D008691:Methadone