A Psychometric Evaluation of the Intention Scale for Providers-Direct Items

Abstract

Research on the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP) suggests that there are numerous factors that influence EBP utilization in community mental health settings. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Intention Scale for Providers-Direct Items (ISP-D; 16 items), a questionnaire designed to assess therapists’ attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions towards using EBPs. Participants were youth community mental health providers from the State of Hawaii’s Departments of Education (n = 130) and Health (n = 81). A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with the total sample to evaluate the factor structure of the ISP-D, which provided support for a revised 14-item ISP-D (Model 3) measure that met benchmarks for adequate to good model fit (i.e., c2 (69) = 117, RMSEA = .057, SRMR = .068, CFI = .944, TLI = .926). Additional analyses were conducted to examine the ISP-D’s reliability and convergent validity. All subscales of the revised ISP-D (Model 3) demonstrated acceptable to good internal consistency, with the exception of the perceived behavioral control scale (⍺ = .63; questionable). The majority of convergent validity correlation patterns between the ISP-D and related constructs were statistically significant and in predicted directions. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.